Schneider & Sons - Aventinus

25oz dark brown bottle. Freshness date on label.
Pours a dark ruby-hued brown with a thick and lasting beige/tan head with loads of clinging lace.
A big sweet smell of molasses and brown bread, along with smells of cloves, bananas and citrusy hops.
The full malt body carries tastes of toffee, fresh rye bread, molasses, figs, bananas and peppery spices.
A light lemon and lime bitterness and countering pleasant basil-like herbal taste softens the hop bite.
A light sweet rum-like alcohol fuminess lingers in the background.
Nice complex, though well-structured brew!
Try with a mix of salami, sausages with grainy mustard and cheeses.

Huvila - Baltic Porter

Huvila - Malmgardin (formally brewed at Savolina), Finland - Baltic Porter 7.0% abv
1 Pint 0.9 oz brown bottle. Bast Fore (Best before date) not legible. Poured into an Allagash goblet.
A real beautiful, nearly impenetrable dark coffee color with a reddish hue when held to the light. Big billowy tan head with loads of sticky lace raises expectation.
A fairly potent smell of dark chocolate rises at first pour. Smells of roasted malt, coffee and rye bread follow. A light whiff of peppery hop is noticed.
Tastes of coffee, bitter chocolate and rye crackers are dominant. Tea-like and flowery hops linger. A mild vodka-like fuminess inches forward as it warms. There is an odd astringent tartness that seems a bit out of place, though not too off-putting.
The body is a little thin for the style, yet its roots are certainly Baltic.
It improves as it warms (as does most beer), but this improvement is very noticeable.
I wish I had bought 2 now.
Try it alone or with creamy cheeses. Would go well with vanilla or coffee ice cream.