Põhjala — Cellar Series Plum

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

Part of Põhjala’s acclaimed Cellar Series, this plum barrel-aged expression of their flagship barleywine pours deep mahogany with a luxurious texture. Rich malt sweetness leads with layers of caramel, toffee, and dark dried fruit, while time spent in plum liqueur barrels accentuates the beer’s natural stone fruit character with juicy plum, fig, and a whisper of madeira. Notes of sherry-like oxidation, vanilla, and seasoned oak weave through the finish, balanced by a gentle bourbon-adjacent warmth. Complex, contemplative, and unmistakably Nordic, it rewards slow sipping with each evolving sip.

Food Pairing

Pair with a mature blue cheese such as Stilton or Roquefort, where the salty pungency cuts through the beer’s malty richness and amplifies its dried fruit notes. Alternatively, serve alongside a dark chocolate and plum tart, letting the dessert echo the barrel-derived stone fruit character and caramelized depth of the barleywine.

About Põhjala Brewery

Põhjala Brewery was founded in 2011 in Tallinn, Estonia, by four beer enthusiasts who were later joined by head brewer Chris Pilkington. The brewery’s name translates to “northern realm” in Estonian, reflecting its deep connection to the Nordic region and the forests of Estonia. Põhjala has established itself as the largest craft brewery in the Baltic states, distinguished by its particular focus on porters, barrel ageing, and the incorporation of indigenous Estonian forest ingredients into its brewing process.

The brewery’s first beer, Öö Imperial Baltic Porter, was contract-brewed before the company opened its original facility in Tallinn’s Nõmme district in April 2014. Following rapid growth, Põhjala invested nearly 4.9 million euros in 2018 to relocate to a state-of-the-art brewery in the Noblessner area, featuring a capacity of 1,200 hectolitres per month and an extensive taproom with 24 taps. Põhjala holds the distinction of being the only Baltic brewery to appear in Ratebeer’s prestigious “top 100” list of world breweries, cementing its reputation as a leading force in European craft beer.