Where was I? Oh yeah, Tampere, Finland. I arrived on a Wednesday, saw a few sites, walked around town, and then went to Panimoravintola Plevna, a brewpub founded in 1994 in one of the old Finlayson cotton mill buildings. After sitting down at the bar, I found out their Siperia Stout had that day just won Best Beer in Finland 2015. I considered that a good sign. One of the women working there was surprised to learn I’d be in town until Friday. “There’s nothing to do in Tampere,” she said. I asked her for some suggestions, and the first few things she mentioned I’d already checked out that afternoon. Hmm. It was a good thing Plevna had enough beer on tap to keep me busy for the two nights I’d be there.

Three half-pours at Panimoravintola Plevna — Tampere, Finland

Rob’s Picks
• Dark Lager / Plevnan Tumma – 5.6% – Roasty, chocolate malts. Quite smooth. Little bit of dark chocolate bitterness on the finish.
• Bock – 6.6% – Sweet, but not too sweet. Caramel and brown sugar, but not too strong. There’s a softness to the malts. Very light herbal hoppiness.
• Wheat Beer / Plevnan Vehnäolut – 5% – Clove/banana aroma. Big clove flavor all the way through. Light banana. Underlying breadiness and spiciness.
• Rauchbier / Savuolut James – 5.2% – Smoky aroma. Big smoky flavor. Sort of like Laphroaig as a beer. Caramel maltiness, smooth. Really light hint of floral hops when it warms.
• Little Black Number / Pikku Musta – 3.8% – Light, dry, roasty with a bit of dark chocolate, and a sweet zing. Kind of like a dark mild but sweeter.
• Siperia Stout – 8% – Big creamy stout with thick chocolate, coffee, roasty maltiness and an underlying citrus edge. Long lingering flavors.
• Mosaic Weizen / Vehnä – 5% – Clove, banana aroma. Not as strong in flavor as their regular wheat beer – integrates nicely with the tropical fruit hoppiness. Light spiciness towards the finish. Pretty cool flavor mix.
• JFK – 5.5% – American pale wheat ale. Clove, banana aroma. Interesting floral, clove, banana flavor mix, with some spiciness, too. Supporting caramel malt. Not the best, but pretty cool and unique flavor mix that makes you think.

The Rest
• Pils Luomu – 4.7% – Light and bready, with a hint of lemon. Light herbal finish with some bitterness. Pretty standard.
• Severin Extra IPA – 5.9% – Floral aroma and flavor. Caramal and roasty malts. Fairly bitter finish. Bit too malty for my tastes.
• Brewery Mead / Plevnan Panimosima – 5% – Big honey aroma. Quite sweet. Honey, citrus, lemon. Alcohol edge. Underlying light floral flavor.
• Plevna’s Cider / Plevnan Omenasiideri – 4.5% – Sweet and apple-y. Pretty crisp and a bit dry, but too sweet for me.
• Plevna’s Cider / Plevnan Omenasiideri Extra Dry – 4.5% – Cloudy. Not nearly as sweet as the previous cider, but has a bit of funk and tartness. Not a bad thing, but surprising and a bit odd. Dry tart finish.
• Plevnan Stout – 7% – Dry stout. Dark chocolate, coffee, plus some roasty malt, but there’s a certain odd sweetness lurking about. Lingering dark chocolate flavor and bitterness.
• Cotton Ale – 4.7% – Pale ale. Floral and citrus aroma and flavor, with underlying caramel malt. Some tropical hop flavor, too, and finishes dry and tannic. A little flat, though. Could be really good with some carbonation.

On Thursday, I slept in, did some leisurely sightseeing, then ended up at Plevna again. Have to say, Tampere isn’t the most exciting place, but it’s a relaxing visit and there’s plenty of beer at Plevna to slake your thirst for a night or two.