Suomenlinnan Spithead Bitter

Brewed by Suomenlinnan Panimo
Style: Bitter
Helsinki, Finland

Serve in English pint

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Bottle. Clear rusty orange with a medium-sized white head and decent retention. Toffee and toasted bread / crusty malt aroma and flavor with very enjoyable English hop expression (juicy orange, light lemon oil). Somewhat musty / dusty / basement-y, which matches the clear malt expression well. Rich toffee and breads with striking cleanliness; light sweetness and well-match bitterness plus bitterness, seems very much like Fuggles in this beer, whereas the Coyet and IPA had a hop character more like Goldings. As with the rest of this brewery’s line, very quenching and satisfying malt, firm and rigid.

Tap at Villi Wäinö, Helsinki. Colour is clear copper with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Nuts, malts and bitterness. Watery and very dull bitter.

500 ml bottle.
Pours a dark copper colour with a white foamy head. Aroma of nutty maltiness, grass and hay. Flavour of strong nutty malts, grains, grassy hops, palm, raisins and hay. Medium bodied, harsh mouthfeel and a dry, malty, bitter finish. Harsh, malty and quite bitter finish. I don’t like the hop profile nor the malts used here, but still it’s a decent beer.

Pours a clear light amber color. Head is white and laces nicely on the glass. Nose is on the mild side with light notes of malts and hay. Taste has a burst of bitterness followed by a long dry aftertaste. A little boring and one-dimensional.

.5l on tap @ Vihreä Haltiatar Pours a bit light amber, hazy, low head. Aroma is malts, nuts and some sweet dark sugar. Flavor is mostly same.

Draught at Kaisla. Mild hoppy nose. Pale beige head. Slightly hazy coppery color. Lemoney malty and hoppy taste. At the end hoppy bitterness.

Draught @ Gastropub Nordic, Tampere.
Pours hazy color with a small head. Aroma of fruits, malts and mild hops. Flavour of hops, fruits, malts and goose berries.
2313

0,5 bottle from local supermarket. Dark orange colour, big head. Almost came out of the bottle even after a week in a fridge. You can smell the hops. Similar to other bitters I have tasted, i.e. not really bitter but rather pleasant. Despite the name I don’t find the bitter style really as dry as IPA or pils. Might taste even better in a pub than your home watching TV.

Bottle at home. Almost clear deep golden color, white head disappears quickly. Basic malty aroma, little hops. Watery malty taste, hint of hops. Disappointment, basic terrible finnish lager.

50 cl bottle @ Nurmo, BBE 03.10.2013
Aroma has toffee, some grainy malt, hops and hints of metal. Feels a bit harsh. Flavour has toffee, grainy malt and some biscuits. Finishes with bitter English hops like the label promises. There’s also a woody feeling. Noy my kind of bitter, but not bad anyway.