Tasting

In a tavern or farmhouse in Häme, Sahti is drawn from the barrel and poured into a jug. The beer looks like dark honey or cloudy amber, and since it has almost no carbonation, only a thin layer of foam forms. Anyone handed a glass can tell right away from the haze that the yeast is still in there.

How do you drink Sahti? Cool, but not ice-cold, in small sips. A tulip glass or a small jug works well, as the aromas of malt and juniper gather in the upper part. Traditionally it's also drunk from a wooden cup, whose shape varies from region to region.

There's no strict rule for pouring. The main thing is to pour gently and avoid stirring up all the sediment, otherwise it gets even cloudier. Sahti tastes best fresh from the kuurna or straight from the barrel, and an opened bottle should be finished soon.

As an example of a producer from the region, beer writers cite Lammin Sahti from Lammi, Finland's first modern Sahti brewery. There's also Hollolan Hirvi with its stone-brewed Kivisahti, along with smaller farmhouse brewers such as one in Hartola. For a first try, a lighter, fresher example suits beginners better than a very dark one.

Opinions diverge when tasting it. Some love the sweetness and the resin, others find Sahti more of an acquired taste. It's not an everyday beer, more one for the first evening at the summer cottage, shared with a small group. Given the alcohol content, the rule is: a little, slowly, and with something to eat.