Põhjala / To Øl Imperial Ginie - Beer Review

This Imperial Ginie (a beer aged in gin barrels) is a result of the collaboration between 2 of the leading craft breweries in Europe - To Øl from Denmark and Põhjala from Estonia. And I am going to tell you straight from the beginning, this is one of the strangest beers that I have ever tasted. It costs 6€ for a bottle of 330ml, while it has a ABV of 10.8%.

The bottle has a white wax seal

The Ginie pours rich orange and has a nice white head, which quickly disappears. The smell is fresh and sweet at the same time; it's like a mixture of juniper and freshly squeezed lemons. Moreover, the aroma reminds me of a well aged gin, although this could also be my imagination.

The taste is where things get weird. It's hard to describe it because I feel that there are more ingredients (and complexity to it) than my taste buds can distinguish. It's sweet, sour and spicy at the same time; it's unique and feels like nothing that I have tried before. The aftertaste is salty and slightly spicy, and I can also detect the malt. It doesn't feel like a strong beer, but more like the 5% ABV pilsner that I had yesterday.

I am growing a beard

After checking ratebeer.com, it's obvious that Põhjala / To Øl Imperial Ginie is a "love it or hate it" brew. *I personally really enjoyed its quirkiness, and it wouldn't be long before I buy another bottle. My score is 4/5.

Cheers and thank you for reading!