Poacher's Choice and Achel 8 Blond at Janoinen Lohi

A walk in foggy Helsinki on a Saturday afternoon. Then finding ourselves at a pub called Janoinen Lohi (thirsty salmon) after having a breakfast at Cafe Tin-Tin Tango. Very cute barmaid recommended Badger's beer called Poacher's Choice. And it really was one helluva beer. Even the colour was very alluring: a dark and ruby red. Very nice. Lots of liquorice but still in a smooth way. Not disturbing amounts I mean. Fruits, caramel and nuts also. Points: 42/50.

I also spotted Achel 8 blonde on the shelf. I love trappist beers and I haven't tasted this yet. Very nice beer but slightly - and I emphasize on the word slightly - less interesting than the bruin version. Floral, fruity beer with white bread on the palate. Very nice full-bodied trappist beer. Points: 42/50.

Two over 40 point beers at the same day. Fucking nice. Pardon my French...

Missing Rochefort 10 - Where art thou?

Oh, Alko, why you had to take this off your list?

Westvleteren Extra 8 at Beer Hunter's, Pori (18 April 2011)

Last weekend I had the chance to taste Westvleteren's trappist beer. Not the Holy Grail one but Extra 8. The world's best beer is usually thought to be Abt 12 and it has gained e.g. 47/50 points at http://olutopas.info. The bottle itself doesn't have a label and the only information can be found on the crown cork. The colour of the beer is very much similar to coffee and it had thin creamy foam. I could detect scents like sweetness, ripe fruits and toffee while I could taste coffee and licorice. The warmer it got the more you enjoyed it. Even the last drops tasted good nevertheless the liquid itself was quite warm already. It's sad that these trappist beers that Westvleteren brew can't be found in any shops. So, nevertheless they're bit expensive you should buy and try whenever you have the chance. I eagerly wait for the Abt 12 to come across my path.

My points: aroma 9/10, appearance 4/5, flavour and finish 9/10, palate 5/5, overall score 18/20 = 45/50 points. Olutopas.info points: 46/50.