Keptinis (2020)
Dok Brewing Company in Gent, East Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Traditional Ale Regular|
Score
6.73
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Alengrin (10989) reviewed Keptinis (2020) from Dok Brewing Company 3 years ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
Lithuania has an ancient and proud beer culture and even if it is little known outside of the country's borders, several traditions of 'homemade' farmhouse ales have existed or still exist, as is the case in the Scandinavian countries and Finland; according to Lars Marius Garshol, who did groundbreaking research in this field, as if he were a nordic Michael Jackson, at least three styles are endemic to Lithuania: the best known of these is kaimiškas, the 'regular' farmhouse ale, while keptinis has become exceedingly rare with only a few remaining examples and the smoked duminis is now apparently extinct. All of these beers, like most ancient beer styles that have all but disappeared or remain limited to local nordic homebrewing traditions, are typically raw beers, meaning that the wort is heated but never cooked. Strange that Dok, after dabbling in Estonian koduõlu, now opts for the lesser know keptinis rather than kaimiškas, distinguished by the fact that the --alt is oven-baked (often even in the shape of a bread - implicitly stressing beer's ancient connection to bread), creating a crust, which is reflected in a brown hue in the beer. I was very much looking forward to trying this Dok interpretation - after my pleasant encounter with their koduõlu - so thanks to Arthur for opening the door and filling me a 75 cl bottle straight from the tap... Produces a thick and mousy, pale greyish beige, membrane-lacing, slowly breaking head over a misty to eventually clouded, chocolate brown robe with burgundy glow. Aroma of baked brown bread indeed (I guess this defines the whole keptinis thing), dried prunes, cloves, dry tree leaves, crème au beurre, granola, sugared tea, chewing gum, dry earth, toasted walnuts, nutmeg. Restrainedly sweetish onset with a slight sourish edge, estery with impressions of dried fig, plum and medlar, softly carbonated with a smooth, slick body, with a bubblegummy effect on the sides; brown-bready, lightly toasty maltiness, soft and bitterish with indeed this 'baked' effect, adorned with spicy phenols in the end (clove, nutmeg) and lingering dried-fruitiness as well as a sourish undertone. Hops are noticeable as a tea-ish herbalness but produce little bitterness. Very interesting beer, accessible as well - feels a bit like a Belgian homebrew to be honest, but I guess this is the 'pre-industrialisation' effect combined with the esters, phenols and yeasty notes; the baked bread, though gentle, effect does set this one apart from any other beer I ever had. Feels a bit 'wild' (or indeed 'raw') and unfinished, but again, I have no frame of reference when it comes to traditional Lithuanian farmhouse ales so a difficult one to judge - I can only assess that it drinks easily and pleasantly, I would not mind having another one if Dok (and pubs in general in Belgium) will ever be reopened after this very annoying Covid-19 pandemic...
tderoeck (20788) reviewed Keptinis (2020) from Dok Brewing Company 3 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
17/X/20 - on tap @ DOK Brewing Company (Gent), BB: n/a (2020-976)
Cloudy deep amber to red brown beer, no head. Aroma: lots of (overripe) banana, milk chocolate, some rotten fruits, slightly chemical. MF: no carbon, medium body. Taste: some caramel, pretty sweet, ripe banana, malty, grains, hay, soft bitterness. Aftertaste: very malty, grains, bit hoppy, cow fodder, pretty hoppy finish, very yeasty, some ripe banana.