Article: Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Taste Experience 2012

This year’s Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Taste Experience are absolutely amazing with an excellent and exciting Danish section with many different micro breweries from Denmark. Most exhibitors also introduce new releases, vintages and exciting taste experiences in all categories. One in particular that we enjoyed was the new Swedish London Dry Gin Hernö gin flavoured with lingonberry. We also loved our 30 min tasting at their Gotlands Brewery bar.

The famous Swedish GQ restaurant prepared a spectacular press brunch were we got different kinds of amazing dishes. To complement the food different breweries presented their beers that really harmonized with this gastronomic experience. A beer that went particularly well with an excellent ham roast was Mohawk Oktober Unfiltered that we really recommend. It has “hoppy” nuanced flavour with hints of apricot, herbs, Earl Grey tea, and honey.

Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Taste Experience is a fair that we really enjoyed and it’s an event that keeps on getting bigger and better each year. The press had an impressive turn up with a full auditorium during the press conference. The impressive variations of breweries, distilleries, wine houses etc and all of you will be able to try a lot of things you never have before. In an age when other fairs tend to go down in number of exhibitors and attendees Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival just keeps getting bigger, better and more qualitative with the years.

Here are some quick recommendations from Western Taste that you can find at the fair this weekend:

Wisby Stout, Gotlands Brewery, Spendrups

The foam is very good, although it doesn't stay for long. It has an almost black body, with as said a nice creamy head. Light sweet roasted malty aroma but the dark malt notes are just as they should be. It has a well balanced flavour that is quite dry, light and sweet with hints of coffee and red berries. Wisby stout is not too heavy, easy drinking, with a relatively low ABV. There are no animal products in the beer of any kind.

Wisby Salmbic, Gotlands Brewery, Spendrups

This is a great wheat beer flavoured with the on Gotland much used dewberry (Salmbär). It is a cloudy golden grey beer with a small off white head. Salmbic has a rich banana aroma with a medium-full body and it is sweet and well rounded, the hefeweizen character dominates. The acidity is also very pleasurable.

Malmö Brygghus

Malmö Brygghus is the only local micro brewery in Malmö, Sweden. Since the opening in November 2010 they have produced high quality and creative beers. At the fair you should particularly try Malmö False Dmitriy, Malmö Amerikansk Pale Ale, Malmö Beersons Festival Amber Ale and Malmö Nordtysk Pilsner.

 

Cutthroat Porter, Odell Brewing Co

This is not quite a stout but definitely no lightweight. Cutthroat Porter is smooth, robust and inspired by the classic London porters. Dark roasted malts are used to create a deep, rich colour and flavour that hint at chocolate and coffee. It is named after the Colorado state fish – with its own rich heritage and unmistakable dark colouring.

90 Shilling Ale, Odell Brewing Co

90 Shilling Ale is Odell Brewing Companies flagship beer that was served at their opening party in 1989 in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is a lightened up version of the traditional Scottish ale. This produces smooth and delicious medium-bodied amber ale. The name 90 Shilling comes from the Scottish method of taxing beer. Only the highest quality beers were taxed 90 Shillings.

Champagne Bruno Michel Brut, Cuvee Blance

This is a superb champagne that comes from the villages of Pierry and Moussy in the sud-Epernay sub region of Champagne. This Champagne is composed of 53% Meunier and 47% Chardonnay. It is a very well balanced champagne. It has pleasant toast and spiced apple aromas and flavours and a crisp dry finish. It is dosed at a very light nine grams per litre.

“Whiskyspelet” and “Ett Vinspel” from Nicogame

“Ett Vinspel” and “Whiskyspelet” are two informative and entertaining quiz games that are almost pocket sized. They each contain over 400 questions in six categories that guarantees you many fact-filled evenings where you can challenge even the most annoying of all the self-proclaimed connoisseurs.

Best sure to visit Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival 2012 this weekend!

Written by Alexander Yü & Kristian Kull