Beer review: Sinebrychoff Koff III (4.5% Finland: Sinebrychoff)

The Sinebrychoff Koff III is a lager, more specifically a Pale lager. It's one of the 'basic beers' of Finland, along with Karhu, Lapin Kulta, Olvi and Karjala. It's produced in bulk quantities by Sinebrychoff, the oldest brewery in the Nordic countries founded in 1819. Nowadays Sinebrychoff belongs to the Carlsberg Group, the 5th largest beer brewing corporation in the world. Koff is usually one of the cheapest (and often the cheapest) beer in Finland so it's definitely worth reviewing, although one shouldn't really expect any good quality from it (although back in the day it apparently won some awards in international competitions).

Taste: The Sinebrychoff Koff III is a light-bodied lager. It starts with a watery, malty taste with a slight metallic flavor and finishes with a very faint metallic hoppy bitterness.

Overall, the aromas that the Sinebrychoff Koff III succeeds in delivering are quite thin and one-sided. This makes the beer quite easy to drink and to enjoy, but taste-wise it doesn't really offer much. For a beer connoisseur it's one of the worst beers available, but I guess it serves its purpose if your aim is just to get drunk.

35 Below average

Cider review: Crowmoor Dry Apple (4.7% Finland: Sinebrychoff)

The Crowmoor Dry Apple is an apple cider manufactured by Sinebrychoff, one of the largest Finnish breweries. Sinebrychoff belongs to the Carlsberg Group, the fourth largest beer manufacturer in the world. The cider promises a strong apple taste with no dominating oak flavor. It's sweetened with sugar.

Taste: The Crowmoor Dry Apple is a light/medium-bodied cider with a sweet, sugary apple taste. It delivers a flavor of sweet apples but fails to do much else. The apple aroma isn't refreshingly natural, although it isn't artificial either.

Overall, The Crowmoor Dry Apple is a decent bulk cider without anything interesting to offer. It tastes like one might expect, but the aroma is not really reminiscent of real apples. It's somewhat refreshing but I've tried many ciders that do much better in that area. I wouldn't really recommend it although it's OK.

50 Average

Beer review: Sinebrychoff Porter (7.2% Finland: Sinebrychoff)

The Sinebrychoff Porter is a porter, more specifically a Baltic Porter. It's brewed by Sinebrychoff, a large Finnish brewery which is part of the Carlsberg Group, the 4th largest beer producer in the world. Sinebrychoff was founded in 1819 and they have been brewing porter on and off since the 1860s. Thus, the beer has long traditions and it's an award-winning beer. For example, it was chosen as the best beer in Finland in 2011.

Taste: The Sinebrychoff Porter is a medium/full-bodied beer with a rich roasty malt body. It offers faint aromas of chocolate, coffee and liquorice but mainly focuses on a roasty, smoky malty body and finishes with a long, full taste of burnt malt, faint tar and even ash.

Overall, the Sinebrychoff Porter is an excellent beer from one of the largest breweries in Finland. This shows that the company does have the skill-set required to brew a good beer, but unfortunately most of their beers are produced with a quantity-over-quality mindset. This beer offers a sophisticated aroma-rich flavor and since it's one of the cheapest strong beers available in the Finnish liquor stores, it's one of the best beers in Finland price-quality-wise. The only downside for me is the slightly musty aftertaste which is too burnt and ashy for my taste.

80 Great

Beer review: Nikolai Alkoholiton Vaalea Lager (0.0% Finland: Sinebrychoff)

The Nikolai Alkoholiton Vaalea Lager is an alcohol-free lager, more specifically a Pale Lager. It's brewed by Sinebrychoff, a large Finnish brewery which is part of the Carlsberg Group, one of the largest brewery corporations in the world. Since the beer contains no alcohol, it can't really be considered a real beer. However, let's give it a try.

Taste: As expected, the Nikolai Alkoholiton Vaalea Lager offers a light-bodied flavor with just a hint of maltiness. It's quite watery and it's really best described as malty water.

Overall, the Nikolai Alkoholiton Vaalea Lager is a disappoinment, even when having no expectations. I've tasted a few alcohol-free beers and some of them actually succeed in being surprisingly close to real beer, but this one falls miles short. Don't buy it, there are better options if you want an alcohol-free beer.

15 Abysmal

Cider review: Somersby Apple Cider (4.5% Denmark/Finland: Carlsberg/Sinebrychoff)

Somersby is among the ten biggest cider brands in the world. Somersby Apple is a sweet apple cider and is originally a brand of the Danish beer company Carlsberg but is brewed for the Finnish markets by Sinebrychoff. Since Somersby is the child of the gigantic Carlsberg corporation, one can expect no home-made qualities from the cider. However, considering the fact that it is among the ten biggest cider brands in the world, the flavor is surprisingly natural. Somersby prides itself in containing only natural flavors and receiving its sweetness from sugar.

Taste: More sour than the pear version of the cider, yet still quite sweet. Refreshing and surprisingly natural considering the bulk nature of the product. Reminiscent of apple juice, although definitely not of home-made one.

Overall, Somersby Apple Cider is a good choice for inebriation purposes for those who prefer the taste of cider over beer. It stands out positively among the selection of bulk ciders in Finnish supermarkets but can't compete with ciders of smaller producers. For connoisseurs it does not offer any exciting taste experiences. More drinkable in large quantities than the pear version, since the apple version is not as sweet.

50 Average

Cider review: Somersby Pear Cider (4.5% Denmark/Finland: Carlsberg/Sinebrychoff)

Somersby is among the ten biggest cider brands in the world. Somersby Pear is a sweet pear cider and is originally a brand of the Danish beer company Carlsberg but is brewedfor the Finnish markets by Sinebrychoff . Since Somersby is the child of the gigantic Carlsberg corporation, one can expect no home-made qualities from the cider. However, considering the fact that it is among the ten biggest cider brands in the world, the flavor is surprisingly natural. Somersby prides itself in containing only natural flavors and receiving its sweetness from sugar.

Taste: Very sweet, yet refreshing and surprisingly natural considering the bulk nature of the product. Reminiscent of pear juice, although definitely not of home-made one.

Overall, Somersby Pear Cider is a good choice for inebriation purposes for those who prefer the taste of cider over beer. It stands out positively among the selection of bulk ciders in Finnish supermarkets but can't compete with ciders of smaller producers. For connoisseurs it does not offer any exciting taste experiences.

50 Average

Beer review: Karhu III (4.6% Finland: Sinebrychoff)

Karhu III beer is one of the so called 'basic beers' found in supermarkets in Finland. It is a lager beer, more specifically a Euro Pale Lager, and it belongs to the low price range of beers found in Finland. Therefore, it is produced and sold in large quantities and you can definitely taste this: in other words the beer lacks clear distinctive flavors and gives a somewhat dull overall impression. However, in my opinion it is one of the best basic beers in Finland.

Taste: Quite a strong taste of bready malt. More full-bodied than other basic beers in Finland. A bit sweet, and a slight aftertaste of bitter hops. Medium carbonation, once again more than in other basic beers of Finland.

I would recommend this if you ever end up in Finland and are in need of a good, but cheap, basic lager beer.

55 Above average