Saturday, January 21, 2017

Ölbeat 187: Malmgård Barley Wine

Brewery: Malmgård
Country: Finland
Style: Barley Wine
Abv: 10,4 %
@RateBeer
What about the beer?
Colour is dark reddish brown with a small tan head. Aroma has a strong malty scent, sweet dark fruits and some hops. Taste starts with strongly malty bitterness. Sweet caramel malts and bitter dark fruits take over. Near the finish bitter and slightly piny dryness gets on top with alcohol warmth. Aftertaste has lasting piny bitter dryness and a spike of alcohol.

Tasty Barley Wine with nasty attitude. Strength rolls over, unhidden and unleashed malty power fills the mouth. Supported by sweet fruits, biting bitterness and beautiful long dryness it makes this an unforgettable brew.

Ölbeat

For some reason I decided that this requires a great Nightwish song. Despite most of the songs have a female vocalist - Tarja, Anette or Floor - , my favourite tracks have vocals of the band's bassist Marco Hietala. One the favourites to match a great Finnish brew. Powerful ballad from the edge of the world.

Nightwish: The Islander (YouTube)

From the 2007 album Dark Passion Play, the song was written by Marco Hietala and Tuomas Holopainen.