One of my finds at the Systembolaget store in Charlottenberg was Midvinternattens Mörker. A lovely name, meaning the Darkness of Midwinter Night.
This is a beer from Sigtuna Brygghus, a micro brewery in the Stockholm area. At a pinch it could be included in the list of breweries at airports, it is just a few minutes away from Arlanda airport.
As the name implies, this is a black beer with a lovely velvet feel to it. It has a sour edge and reveals layers of flavour. Raisins, port, a little soot and roasted grain.
Lovely finish with just the right amount of sourness. Not extreme, but extremely well crafted. Not a refreshing beer, but a refreshingly different beer.
I prefer this to most English old ales, it has a slightly higher alcohol level which I thing adds depth in itself as well as making the most of the other elements.
Beer of the year? No
Surprise of the year? Probably. Catch it if you can.
I have no photo of the beer, I had not planned to blog about htis when I opened it for a nightcap. No photo of Sigtuna, either, the Stocholm suburbs are not very good looking. We’ll try a pic from Longyearbyen instead, where the midwinter night lasts for 4 months or so.
My colleague is off to Stockholm tomorrow, just for two nights. He’s actually staying out near Arlanda (meetings in Sky City). I had thought I wouldn’t bother giving him a shopping list, as I’d fee guilty (even though he is going to visit “my” client, and I could have tried to wangle myself in), but now you’ve made me reconsider
That would be a beer that I would look for if I were to ever visit Sweden. I wonder what food would go good with that beer?