Saldalus Reviews

TBone	2.5 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Flip top 500ml (BB 141123) Thanks to Ago for birthday present! From Riga via Tallinn to Pori. Dark nut brown colour, small steady beige head. Aroma has caramel and lurking tartness. Medium-bodied. Flavour is fortunately less tart but still somewhat going to tartness. Malts, toffee, backing alcohol. When fresh, probably quite ok. Friday, September 29, 2023
TheCellarer	3.2 Saldalus Pētergailis Gaišais 0,5 swing-top bottle with Snegurochka at Pētergailis restaurant. Clear sparkling golden body with copper or bronze shading. Looking good! Largeish frothy head that disappears quickly. Almost no lacing. Comfortable but strong aroma of sweet malts, caramel and brown sugar. Notes of smoke, spices and lightly grilled meat as well but sweetness a bit too dominant. Flavour akim to aroma, but a bit less sweet (which at least according to this reviewer is a good thing). Very pleasant and velvety smooth mouthfeel that helps maintain aftertaste for a medium length of time. Quite a decent brew with meat dish during Christmas break, but could probably also stand quite well on its own feet as a wintertime beverage. Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Snegurochka	3.5 Saldalus Melnais Vilks 500ml swing top bottle @Petergailis, Riga Deep dark crimson body, with small head that leaves patchwork on top. Roasted sweet malts, caramel, dark dried fruits: plum, prunes, dates, and some spices. A bit farmyard finish and a bit heavy. Great start to my Christmas holiday! Monday, December 19, 2022
mjs	3.1 Saldalus Melnais Vilks (Keg at Brooklyn Pub, Riga, 20220705) The beer poured dark brown and cloudy. Its head was medium sized and lightly brown. Aroma had caramel, chocolate, toasted malts and butter. Palate was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavours were grass, toasted malts, caramel, toffee, chocolate and bitterness. Aftertaste was malty and mildly bitter. A decent malty brew with sweet notes. Tuesday, July 5, 2022
DocuDrinks	2.8 Saldalus Tumšais 0.5l bottleSmell- weak malt, acidic. Foam- thin, malt, a bit acidic, faint sweetness. Head is small, dirty white color. Appearance- simple bottle, re-sealable. Very dark ruby color. From - snifter Taste - weak malt, sweetness, maybe even too malty. Sweet aftertaste. Not too bad, but nothing special. Saturday, January 2, 2021
DocuDrinks	3.1 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Smell- weak to medium, malt. Foam-thin, malty. The Head is small, light brown-white color. Appearance- re-sealable bottle, labeled by the brewery, its nice, but I can't give a bonus.Very dark ruby color, no carbonation. From - snifter Taste - Weak malt, sweetness, caramel, alcohol. Not bad, quite neutral. Thursday, December 31, 2020
AllGrainReports37	3.5 Saldalus Gaišais Saturday, September 7, 2019
WortHopper47	5 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Verry delicious and fantastic BEER for relaxation! Wednesday, August 21, 2019
AleSampler31	4 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Tuesday, April 30, 2019
martjoobolut	3.2 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Tap at S. Brevinga. Pours dark copper-brown with beige head. Aroma and flavor are sweet, caramel, malt, booze. Overall: ok. Monday, April 8, 2019
DocuDrinks	2.9 Saldalus Puķu Aroma - quite weak with some herbs. Foam - bitter, not creamy, not carbonated. Taste - bitter, little sweetness, long bitter aftertaste. Drinkable, but nothing special Saturday, August 11, 2018
mcberko	3.4 Saldalus Melnais Vilks On tap at Brooklyn Pub & Whiskey Room, pours a deep dark brown with a tiny beige head. Aroma brings out molasses, light treacle and English caramel malt. Flavour is along the same lines, with molasses, English caramel bready malt, and toffee. Sweet, but not cloying, with a nice treacly finish. Nice stuff. Monday, May 14, 2018
aidzitis	3 Saldalus Puķu Man teica, ka šitā ipa esot, bet te rakstīts ka sezons. Nezin, garšo kā brenguls, tāds salkans. Ir dzerts jau agrāk, bet varbūt tā tikai liekās, bet katr reiz kaut kā savādāk garšo. Aromāts tāds sviestains ar mazu apiņklātbūtni. Sunday, September 3, 2017
gnoff	3.4 Saldalus Puķu RBESG 2017, sampled on July 19, 2017. At Beer House No.1, Riga. Pre-gathering. From tap. Cloudy orange color, smallish off-white head with lacing. Malty, hoppy, fruity taste. Sweet, blood oranges aftertaste. Medium to fizzy mouthfeel, medium bitterness. Blood oranges, sweet, zest scent. Qutie nice, could have another. 7/3/7/3/14=3.4 Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Juks	2.8 Saldalus Puķu Tap. Clear golden, white head. Aroma of sweat, fruits, grain. Taste is grainy, malty. Some butteriness in aftertaste, something herbal. Light bodied, average carbo. Not very saisonish. Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Travlr	3 Saldalus Puķu Draft at Beer House No 1. Cloudy golden color. Fruity aroma. Lightly tart fruit taste. Wednesday, July 19, 2017
FatPhil	1.4 Saldalus Diennakts Tap (Riga Craft Beer Festival 2016) (2:3-:2:2-:5-=1.4---) Super-raw homebrewy aroma. Chemical chloriney taste. A dirty homebrewy mess - narp! Monday, October 31, 2016
alex_leit	3 Saldalus Puķu On tap. Pale amber color, slightly hazy. Aroma: sweet, fruity, a little citrus. Taste: malty, a little apricot jam, old fruits. Monday, September 5, 2016
Marduk	1.3 Saldalus Diennakts Tap @RCBF 2016. Clear amber color. Small size, white head, stays. Yeasty, sourish, burnt plastic in aroma. Nasty aroma. Malty and harsh hoppy water in taste. Harsh to drink. Fckin mess! Nope! Friday, August 26, 2016
Vells	2.6 Saldalus Diennakts Feels too much diacetyl in this pilsner malt cocktail, grainy, bready, some floral aspect. Too luscious sweet. Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Vells	2.7 Saldalus Puķu Ehh, couldnt get nowhere close to saison qualities. Buttery pilsener malts, bread, some herbal hops. Light sweetness with moderate to light bitterness. Drinkable, but one time try Monday, August 22, 2016
Alusmamuts	3.4 Saldalus Puķu Light amber bit hazy with small white head. Nice flower aroma. Bit sour fruity taste followed by medium bitterness with citrus notes. Not too bitter, but very nice and refreshing Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Alusmamuts	3 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Dark brown / reddish with small yellow head. Sweet aroma with sour, spicy and rye bread notes. Sweet-sour taste followed by medium bitterness, rue bread, roasted grain and some spicy notes. Slightly bitter and sweet -sour aftertaste. Tuesday, June 14, 2016
k0mpsa	3.5 Saldalus Puķu Tap at bierhouse no 1, riga. Hazy deep golden color, white head. Aroma has lots of fruits, mango, pineapples, citrus. Little tart taste, citrus, fruits. Some earthy notes. Friday, May 27, 2016
larsga	2.8 Saldalus Tumšais Smallish coarse brown head. Hazy deep red body. Earthy perfumy dried cherry aroma with herbal notes. Dryish acidic cherry taste with yoghurt notes. Mid-to-thin body. Mild, mealy mouthfeel. Dryish-acidic earthy cherry aftertaste with spicy wooden notes. Drinkable, but no more. (0.3l draft at S. Brevinga. Bartender confirms it’s infected.) Thursday, April 21, 2016
FatPhil	3.2 Saldalus Melnais Vilks 500ml bottle (Valmiermuiza Shop, Riga) Pours beautifully, almost like an english cask ale, with at first a loose frothy head from the pour itself, but later as the dissolved carbonation slowly rises it forms a lovely tight crown. Alas that dissipates a bit too quickly, but it was nice while it lasted. The colour is a lovely deep red. Aroma is an amazingly rich fruity berry maltiness, deep and plummy, just a bit jammy, but not off. Full smooth palate, carbonation low. Rich sweet syrupy malts, some slight dodginess, but not offness. Finish sweet and malty, pretty heavy, but not oppressive. A big bold brew, but very pleasant. Would love to try one straight from a wooden barrel! Saturday, December 26, 2015
beermaris	2.7 Saldalus Gaišais 2 l bottle bought in Saldus. Amber colour. Bitter with some sweet honey nuances . A bit watetish Thursday, December 24, 2015
subgrade	3 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Re-rate 3/11/2016 Just as I suspected - it gets better with time. It’s still very sweet, but it has taken on a pleasant deep fruity character both in taste and aroma, and has some light bitterness in aftertaste to compliment that. Original review (12/8/2015) (5-3-3-3-6=2.0): Aroma is sweet malts, caramel, some hints of dried fruit. Next to no head, dark copper colour, quite clear. Taste is syrupy, malty, sweet, with a slight sour touch. Sticky mouthfeel, low carbonation. Didn’t like this one at all, although it might get better if given more time for maturation. Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Alusmamuts	2.7 Saldalus Gaišais Amber with almost no head Nice medium bitterness, bit watery, some honey sweet background.. Saturday, August 8, 2015
lobs_ols	1.9 Saldalus Gaišais Opaque amber, medium white head. Light hoppy aroma. Bitter with some light sour note - though 6 weeks from expiration date. Slightly tingly sensation on the tongue, finishes on the sour side, and a bit dry. Would not try again. Monday, July 20, 2015
Marduk	3 Saldalus Melnais Vilks 500ml flip-top bottle, Brevinga, Riga. Dark chestnut color. Medium size, tan head, stays. Metallic, iron, minerals, caramel, sweet notes in aroma. Sweet, caramel, burnt plastic, roast in taste. Burnt plastic in burps. Sweet and metallic aftertaste. Soft carbonation. Sweet body. Saturday, July 18, 2015
FatPhil	2.4 Saldalus Tumšais 2L PET bottle (Alus Tirgus, Riga) (5+:4:4:3:8=2.4+) Sweet bready aroma, crusty and toasty. Nice reddy brown, large spongy head. Taste? Woh - that’s sour. But a nice latvian sourness, it almost fits with the sweet breadiness. Smooth lactic sweet palate, nice, apart from the sour shudder, that is. Overall, I love the bread, but hate the sourness. Welcome to Latvia :- Tuesday, April 21, 2015
lobs_ols	2.2 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Black, weak beige head. Yeast, light roastiness, some caramel on nose. Taste is sweet, you can taste the alcohol, medium body. Finishes overly sweet. Meh. Sunday, March 29, 2015
Brainiac	4.2 Saldalus Puķu 0.5l on tap. Thick foam, orange pale color. Aroma is ofherbs but very week, cant tell. Tongue says green tea, orange coating and that all turns into hop bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter and long but with the sensation of orange coating. Monday, March 16, 2015
zenkis	3.2 Saldalus Melnais Vilks Pours deep, dark amber to brown reddish with medium beige-yellow soapu top, deep small bubbled. Aroma- intense malty, caramel sweet with notes of toasted, dark dried berries, no hops to me. Taste- sweet, light bitter finish from darker malts with sour notable touch (likely from open fermentatoion). Nice flavor, maybe too sweet, but it seems to me that some bottles must be conditioned for longer period- than it could be deep flavored. Medium+ body, sweet aftertaste but without sugary acidity. Nice brew, must be aged longer in my opinion. Thursday, March 12, 2015
Marduk	2.5 Saldalus Tumšais 2L PET bottle (Alus Tirgus, Riga). Murky dark brown color. Medium size, brown head, stays. Bready, malty, fizzy aroma. Diacetyl, sourish, red currant, dark rye bread in taste. Sourish mothfeel. Little bit off. Again. Thursday, February 26, 2015
adodo	2.8 Saldalus Puķu Weak aroma, caramel, smoky. Orange colour, bit cloudy, little head. Medium bitterness, little sweet. Monday, September 15, 2014
stopnbreathe	2.9 Saldalus Puķu Sweet bitterness weak aroma,but something skunky a bit. Foam disappears fast. tastes a bit off. Bitterness stays. Sunday, August 31, 2014
subgrade	3.3 Saldalus Puķu 1.0 L plastic bottle. Pale hazy yellow colour. Small white head, dissipates quite quickly, traces of lacing. Grassy, somewhat sweet aroma with a hint of nuts. Mouthfeel is thicker than expected, medium carbonation. Taste is nicely balanced between hops and sweetish malts, not too complex, still nice; aftertaste is long lasting, initially sticky sweet with a light, somewhat acrid bitterness taking over. Overall a pretty good brew, could have quite a few of these in one sitting. Friday, April 18, 2014
Finn	2.6 Saldalus Gaišais Fra kran på S.Brevinga, Riga 9 Okt 13. Gyldenbrun. Lavt skum. Uklar. Aroma av karamell. Smaken blir i samme gate. Vel søt. Noe syrlig bitterhet slår til og den balanserer hårfint mellom søt og syrlig. Avslutninga er mandler. Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Marduk	2.5 Saldalus Puķu Tap. Clear golden color. Small size, white head, stays. Aroma is weak and hard to detect anything from there. If any then some notes of sourness, bread and butter. Perfume and grainy taste. Mild bitter aftertaste. Served too warm and therefore it reminds me piss. If served cold drinkablilty would be higher. Thursday, January 16, 2014
Marduk	1.5 Saldalus Gaišais Keg. Clear golden color. Small size, white head, stays. Foul aroma of diacetyl, Ajax cleaner and piss. Peppermint, sour and piss in taste. I suspected that something is wrong when I saw barmaid scooping froth out from the glass several times. I don’t think its the beer, but the pipes of that bar. Must re-rate. Tuesday, January 14, 2014
FatPhil	1.7 Saldalus Gaišais Keg (Brevinga Tirgonu, Riga) Smells of rotten vegetables, toiletty. Sour, watery, and fizzy. Very little taste. Only get hops in the finish, which are quite OK and green. Easy to blame Brevinga for this, should rerate. Monday, January 13, 2014
FatPhil	2.5 Saldalus Puķu Tap (Brevinga Tirgonu, Riga) Slightly off Latvian malty aroma, a bit bready. Hoppy, herbal, and menthol retronasals. Menthol in the finish too. Smoothish palate. Nice green hops in the finish too, quite long. Sub-par, but has potential. (I don’t trust Brevinga to serve this well - should rerate.) Monday, January 13, 2014
visionthing	2.2 Saldalus Tumšais 50cl on tap at S. Brevinga, Riga. Deep mahogany coloured with a medium beige head. Somewhat sourish and slightly wooden aroma of dark malts. Caramel and hints of bonfire. Quite a strange one. Not bad, but not particularly pleasant either. Medium sweet with some strange wooden and sour hints and a fairly light bitterness. Wednesday, January 1, 2014
visionthing	2.9 Saldalus Puķu 50cl on tap at S. Brevinga, Riga. Pretty clear deep golden (looks like honey) with a rather small, white head. Aroma of mild grassy and fruity hops, pale malt and hints of honey and herbs. Described as an IPA, but a more like an English pale ale in my book. Medium sweet with nice, but fairly mild hoppy notes and a lightly bitter finish. Quite nice and sessionable. Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Snegurochka	2.7 Saldalus Puķu 330ml tap, 18.12.13, Riga. Small white head, golden and slightly-slightly hazy body. Lemon, hops and tangerine. Mild citrus and sweet notes. Tastes like it smells. Interesting, but a bit thin. Not your typical IPA, but I like it and am really happy to be back in Riga. Wednesday, December 25, 2013
kiwianer	3.4 Saldalus Puķu The head is ok, the body blond. It smells sweet, hoppy, fruity, a bit malty. The taste is sweet, hoppy, yeasty, fruity. Sunday, December 15, 2013
zenkis	3 Saldalus Puķu 1L light plastic bottle Pours hazy deep yellow to pale orange with white-off top, light lasing. Aroma - intense floral and light grassy hopping on nose, fresh wood, sour touch but seems from inappropriate fermenting or bottling. Taste - medium sweet, light sour and overall well hopped herbal bitter - from early hopping, different aroma hops - like Czech noble. Interesting flavor, positive controversy with some boiled vegetables at the very end. But overall is very drinkable, balanced good enough. Palate - medium body, compote texture, medium thick, soft carbonation, light dry finish, aftertaste - thick-slick mouthfeel with light bitter, dry and malty light sweet. Sunday, September 22, 2013
kiwianer	2.5 Saldalus Gaišais The head is unrobust, the body orange and cloudy. It smells malty, metal, mild. The taste is boring, crap, malty, sweet, a bit dry, alcoholic. 11/7/7/7/-/7 Thursday, September 5, 2013