Teva Brew has started a new experimental series of Historical Ales. The beers will be based on the second runnings of Sahti wort and flavored with natural plants, herbs and berries. They will deviate from those beers brewed centuries ago in that we will vary the hops and yeast in order to boost quaffability. Many, if not most, of those ancient Ales also didn't even contain malt, they were simply made of plants and herbs, even such plants that the modern science has proved poisonous or otherwise harmful to human health. We will, of course, refrain from using such ingredients. The basic idea is to explore the plant and herb flavors in beers. However, the idea is not to make the beers comparable since the malt base also changes according to what kind of Sahti we are brewing. With these modifications, we hope to experiment with low-alc herb ales that one could think of gulping in the summer heat when working in the fields. The first one is an ale based on the second runnings of "Tantalizing Genome of Sahti: Chocolate + Caramel". The flavoring is obvious: juniper. The beer looks rather foggy but not entirely and raisin brown. The picture gives too much red though. A clean white, small-bubbled head emerges on the top and reaches one finger. Retention is quite long with a lace ring circling the surface. Juniper is evident in the scent. Juniper is very aromatic and can easily overwhelm the experience with too long infusion or a big load of twigs. We infused the wort with juniper for two days, and the amount was reasonable. I can also pick a bit of raw cacao beans, rye bread and distant clove in the fragrance. The taste is decent. Juniper twigs merge with grassy hops, rye crackers and faint brown biscuit while a noticeable chocolatey touch lands gently on the taste receptors. There's also a remote lemony hint behind the corner. Hmm... not bad. The beer is quite likely tastier than without juniper and hop/yeast treatment – a mere second runnings of the Sahti wort would be dull. The chocolatey flavor is a nice addition, especially for quaffability, but probably not very "historical". The body is thin, of course. The ABV is mere 3.4 %, so thinness is not a real dismerit here. The finish allows one to enjoy a bit more citrusy nuances whereas the juniper doesn't provide a coniferous flavor anymore but a slightly woody sensation only. The malty side becomes dry. The aftertaste puts refreshing juniper needles under the pillow and regrets seriously after a while. The mouthfeel is thin, coniferous, fragrant, natural and unique. It's later also moderately dry and faintly drying. Probably strange in the modern craft beer universe. Yet, fairly easily drinkable in proper circumstances.