Editing Sahti (section)

{{short description|Finnish beer}}
[[File:Lammin sahtia.JPG|thumb|Lammin Sahti, a [[Finland|Finnish]] sahti brand]]
[[File:Finlandia sahti.jpg|thumb|Finlandia sahti]]
'''Sahti''' is a Finnish type of [[farmhouse ale]] made from [[malt]]ed and unmalted [[cereal|grain]]s including [[barley]] and [[rye]]. Traditionally the beer is flavored with [[juniper]] in addition to, or instead of, [[hops]];<ref name="ovell">[http://www.posbeer.org/julkaisut/cf01.pdf Peter Ovell, "Finland's Indigenous Beer Culture."  Perinteisen Oluen Seura, Special Publications No 1, 1996. Helsinki.] (accessed 2017-11-21)</ref> the mash is filtered through juniper twigs into a trough-shaped tun, called a ''kuurna'' in [[Finnish language|Finnish]]. Sahti is [[Top fermentation|top-fermented]] and many have a banana flavor due to [[isoamyl acetate]] from the use of baking yeast, although [[Saccharomyces cerevisiae#Brewing|ale yeast]] may also be used in fermenting.

The end product is a cloudy beer with  [[phenol]]ic flavors and a distinct taste similar to [[banana]], balanced by the bitterness from the juniper branches. The carbonation level tends to be very low. Sahti was traditionally brewed as a [[farmhouse ale]],<ref name="rasanen"/> but commercial versions are now available. Commercial sahti is usually 8% [[Alcohol by volume|ABV]]. Sahti has to be stored cold until consumption and is therefore not available in all stores.

Within Finland, sahti has differing characteristics depending on which part of the country it is from. It is often known as [[Tavastia (historical province)|Tavastian]] beer from [[Häme Province|Häme]] (well-known ''sahti'' areas, such as [[Sysmä]], [[Joutsa]], [[Kuhmoinen]] and [[Lammi]], are in Häme) but it is also made in [[Southwest Finland|Finland Proper]] and some parts of [[Central Finland]]. Every year the Finnish sahti brewing championship is held on the first weekend in August.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sahti.org/smkilpailu.htm |title=Sahtiverkko - SM-kilpailu |website=Sahti.org |date=2019-03-08 |accessdate=2019-07-06 |archive-date=2018-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707115104/http://www.sahti.org/smkilpailu.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>