Price: $6.99/22-oz at Total Wine

Region: Boston, Massachusetts

Style: Sahti

ABV: 7%

Sight: copper, russet

Smell: caramel, bready, herbal

Taste: malty, herbal, bready, evergreen, berry finish

Overall:  Sahti is an ancient style of beer from Finland that uses juniper instead of hops.  I didn’t get an overwhelming juniper note off of this, but there is something faintly herbal about it.  It’s a beautifully rich copper hue with steady carbonation and little head retention.  It’s worth pointing out that the nose, in this case, is an exceptionally reliable indicator of the flavor.  I smell and taste caramelly malt, a foresty herbal note, and a good bit of breadiness; but the finish is the unpredictable bit—it tastes like an incense I smelled once, and Christmas (think pine tree + cranberries).  I can’t say I know what a legit Finnish Sahti tastes like, but I think this was a successful tribute to history; despite the smoothness of the mouthfeel, there’s a rustic quality to this combination of flavors that makes me think of an undisturbed forest.  This has been released right before summer, but I’d drink this well into the fall.  Tasty.