Time to continue our journey of plant/herb/berry-flavored homebrewed Historical Ales. The idea behind this experimentation can be read at "Small Beer: Juniper". This ale has been seasoned with spruce tips. The tips were collected in the spring and kept in a freezer. The beer looks turbid, chestnut brown. A minuscule-bubbled off-white head rises one finger high. Carbonation is decent already now but could be a bit more lively. It will still develop as today is not more than the 12th day in bottle. The fragrance is interesting: a bit of milk chocolate, cookie and a whisper of caramel. It originates from the malt bill of the Sahti whose second runnings constitutes the malt base of this ale, as well. Spruce is really hair-thin but gives a faint refreshing note in the scent. The tongue is quite okay: at 3% the palette is certainly not robust. Spruce is still very subdued but brings an idea of a Finnish forest to the tastebuds. Otherwise, it's again the malt base that portrays itself more boldly on the tongue and releases brown malt, a bit of dark multigrain bread and an interesting note of unidentifiable citrus. The slightly sweeter elements of the olfactory supply reduce to nil. The body is light but absolutely not watery, not even overly thin in my opinion. The finish is the same as upfront. The aftertaste puts dry spruce firewood in the fire and steps back because of abundant crackles and sparkles. The mouthfeel is light, refreshing, smooth and neatly balanced. Substantially gluggable, very easy indeed. I pose again the question to myself: would I quaff this in gallons were I a farm worker in the18th century? The answer is "yes!". What I'd wish more is spruce though.