Can (12-2025) thanks to Dani and Henkka! Drunk April 20, 2026.
Smells like a malty tmave or thereabouts. Don't pick up the juniper in the nose and if this is bread yeast or the like, I don't get any indication of that, either. But the grains smell rich and rustic with base malt and rye adding brown sugar and nuttiness. Surprisingly clean. Nothing like the plastic bottle sahtis I used to get from Finland 20 years ago (that's probably not that surprising).
Rich and malty with a spice undercurrent that seems more rye than juniper-based. Maybe a hint of dry acidity on the finish from the juniper but you'd never guess it in a million years. Just noticing this is 9% abv. Maybe they used a commercial yeast to get it there? Because there's no funk here and I'd be hard pressed to name this a sahti if I tasted it blind. That said, not every sahti was tart, and likely, many exhibited the Saccharomyces as their primary component, when fresh, before the wild yeast and bugs had time to express themselves. But that also said, I much prefer the more rustic, homebrewed-esque style, though this is a fine beer for what it is. Glad to have the opportunity!