Estonia 0 v England 1
Sunday 12 October 2014
Tallinn
It's easy nowadays isn't it. Ratebeer. Other internet sites. Cheeky Twitter "cold calls" to brewers & bars. Great times. If you can't track down the main craft/micro bars in a place like Tallinn, you're doing something wrong.
The Places
1. Koht/Kuldne Lovi/Moonshine Bar
Lai 8.
Multi-name place which jokingly prides itself on having "we're open, when we're open, no fixed opening hours". Ggggrrrrr. I've got an obsession to run here mate.
Lovely place. Hidden away in a courtyard. My "no Saku no A Le Coq" speech was given a sympathetic hearing. It's one of those bottleshop at the front, bar at the back arrangements.
Barmaid/Landlady/Owner very helpful. (in English). Only 2 or 3 kegs. But extensive bottles. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I couldn't really work the bottle list out.
Most of my choices came from staring into the fridges, looking at what others were drinking & recommendations from the landlady.
No food
2. Pudel Baar
Telliskivi 60a
From 1600 Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
From 1200 Saturday
From 1400 Sunday
Not Monday
Quite a way off the beaten track. But not too far to walk from the Old Town in the grand scheme of things. In what looks like an up & coming Bohemian area of building & warehouse conversions. I thought "Bermondsey but not railway arches". First problem was I couldn't open the door. Old man problem.
Small but bright place on 2 floors. Modern wooden higgledy piggledy chairs & tables. 6 kegs. Brewdog, Thornbridge, To Øl, Spaten & one Põhjala. Good, well organised bottle list.
No food.
3. Pőrgu
Ruutli 4
From 1200
Not Sunday
Food served.
In the Old Town. Nice, but identikit cellar bar/restaurant. 13 keg lines. 6 Estonian. Then Czech, Belgian, etc. Very busy at 1900 on a Saturday. Barmaid a bit sniffy when we asked for a glass to be topped up. But, overall she dealt with my questions politely & was helpful.
4. Hopner Beer Restaurant
Vanaturu Kael 3
From 1200
Food served
Right in the mix in the Old Town action. 9 kegs (a couple out). Half Estonian. Half Czech, Belgian, etc. Long bottle list.
Very nice place. "Modern Medieval Cellar". Leather seats. Spectacularly helpful & knowledgeable bar lady. She responded & reacted well to us. She helped me set up a blind tasting for one of my friends. She made recommendations when asked, but wasn't pushy. Sommelier standard.
The Beers
1. Põhjala - Põhja Konn Imperial/Double IPA at 8.8% on keg in Koht. Straight out of the box gorgeous. I really felt the abv kick. At that strength there is an inevitable sweetness. But it's coating not cloying. Then it's just a big intense bitter hit. If anything, the sweetness kicks in again. How do they do that? There is a treacle, slightly burnt, thing going on as well. Superb beer.
2. Lehe Pruulikoda - Lõbus Njuufa Black IPA 6.5% from a bottle in Koht. Slightly disappointing. Pleasant upfront sweetness. But it doesn't give way to the bitterness I like. Slight liquorice. OK, but I wouldn't rush to it again.
3. Põhjala - Rukkirääk at 5.9% on keg in Pudel. Billed as a Rye Ale. It was almost blackcurrant in colour. And red fruit dominates on the palate. Maybe it starts blackcurrant & goes towards dates. At first I didn't get bitterness. But it does kick in a bit more down the glass. A nice beer. All about the fruit.
4. Põhjala - Must Kuld (Porter) at 7.8% on keg in Pőrgu. Let's get to the end. Lovely bittering. Very important for a Porter. Great velvet coating mouthfeel. Liquorice more on the palate than the nose. Sweetness coming in initially, then later as icing sugar on the lips. Very very nice.
5. Óllenaut Suitsu Porter at 5.4% from a bottle in Pőrgu . Billed as Smoked Robust Porter. Lots & lots of Ribena on the nose. Sweet. The smokiness is fairly gentle (not Robust as described). The sweetness stays there. I quite like that. For me it ain't got enough going on. Not enough smoke. Not enough bitterness. OK though.
6. Lehe - Väike India at 2.7% from a bottle in Pőrgu. Superb low abv IPA. Citrus bitterness is the story. Long finish.
7. Tanker - Kyte Peale at 6.6% from a bottle in Pőrgu. I wasn't sure about that one. Billed as an IPA. But it seemed to come up short. Nothing was quite intense enough. It was pleasant enough. But not intense enough as an IPA. And not zesty & refreshing as a Pale.
8. Tanker - Sound Check at 5% from a bottle in Hopner. Very nice. Refreshing and zesty and zingy. Quite flavour bursting in the mouth. Maybe a little too sweet in the finish. Billed as Pale & I thought a very good example of one.
9. Hampelmann - Armastuskiri Ladina-Eestist at 6.4% from a bottle in Hopner. Brewed with Wild Rosemary (apparently). I noticed a slight anaesthetic numbing on the tongue. Slightly sour on the nose. Good initial sugar hit. But then not much bittering. Interesting. Quite a bit going on. But put that in the speciality beer category.
10 Lehe - Blackmouth Cur at 5.2% from a bottle in Hopner. Lot of malt on the palate. Slightly toasted. Then a zesty flavour burst. Hoppiness is more floral/citrus than intense. Can't help but feel it's leaning more towards a traditional English ESB bitter than American Pale (as billed).
11. Lehe - Tujukas Tuukan at 4.2% from a bottle in Hopner. Dry Rye Stout.
Red fruit on the palate Didn't particularly get the dryness. Quick tip of the tongue bitterness. A bit unusual. But I wouldn't rush back to it.
The awards
Best bar - Hopner. Wins it on account of the bar lady.
Best beer - Põhjala - Põhja Konn Imperial/Double IPA at 8.8% on keg in Koht.
