Beer reviews: Kiitos Sahti and Salt Lake Brewing Rye of the Tiger
This week, a little rye goes a long way.
By Mike Riedel @utahbeer
Kiitos - Sahti: This is a farmhouse-style ale that originates from Finland. Sahtis primarily use juniper twigs during the brewing process in place of hops, creating more of a balance and imparting a resiny character.
The Kiitos interpretation has a solid pour and produces a minimal off-white head; a very light amber/straw hue shows an unfiltered clarity. The aroma smells of juniper, biscuit-like malt, some spicy grain, lots of grapefruit, some lychee aromas and light juicy notes. The juniper didn't pop like I anticipated, but there is a lot going on here.
At first sip, the taste proves to be somewhat lighter than I was expecting, with a cleaner yeast character that I don't normally associate with traditional farmhouse ales. Flavors of tangerine, lychee and grapefruit are balanced by an almost apple-like tannin element towards the finish that seems to be from the yeast.
This beer isn't hugely sweet, and the body definitely has a medium/light quality that keeps it quaffable. There is some nice backing rye malt here with a touch of spiciness to it, some toasty whole grain-like notes, lots of lingering biscuit character, and some caramelized/honey malt sweetness.
Verdict: An interesting beer. While I was hoping for more of that Sahti juniper character, the overall nice fruitiness makes this a pleasant-drinking ale. If you're looking for a highly drinkable "hop alternative" beer, this will add enough complexity that you may not even miss those hops.
Salt Lake Brewing - Rye of the Tiger: This red ale features rye malt and pours a sturdy amber color with two fingers of pure white foam. The head fades relatively quickly, leaving a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
The aroma of the beer most heavily evokes a caramel smell mixed with some lighter graininess and moderate rye bread. Along with these aromas are some other notes of citrus orange and a bit of grass and floral hop.
The taste begins much heavier on the rye flavor than I would have thought from the nose. While not a super rye powerhouse, it does have a nice hit of it which lasts throughout the taste. At the front of the taste, there is a caramel and lighter fruit flavor of pear and citrus.
As the taste moves forward, the sweetness fades a bit as some of the caramel is lost. While this occurs, some spice flavors move onto the tongue, melding nicely with the rye flavors of the brew. With a bit of an herbal, grassy flavor joining the taste at the end, the rye moves from a smoother, bready nature to a slightly grainier flavor; one is left with a crisp and tasty rye bread flavor to linger on the tongue.
The body of the beer is on the average to slightly thinner side, with an average carbonation level. While just a tad more carbonation would have nicely complemented the blend of sweeter and drier rye flavors that transition throughout the taste, the slightly thinner body did just that rather well and helped leave the crisp and refreshing rye flavors on the tongue at the end.
Verdict: A quite easy-drinking and still very tasty rye brew that is blended nicely with sweet, spicy and crisp flavors, which really make for an easy drinking experience.
Enjoy Rye of the Tiger on draft at Salt Lake Brewing Company (Squatters Building). Kiitos' Sahti is on draft and in 16-ounce cans to-go from the brewery. There aren't a lot of Sahti-style beers around, so check this one out.
As always, cheers!
About The Author
Mike Riedel
Local boy and pilot of City Weekly’s best gig, The Beer Nerd column since 2017. Current photojournalist at KSTU TV (Fox 13) and host of the Utah Beer Blog and Beer Nerd Radio on KUAA 99.9 FM radio.
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