I thought we would switch it up off my hop obsession and go after a few of the stranger options out there. We tried an ancient style of beer called Gruit and here is what we thought!
Gruit is an old-fashioned herb mixture used for bittering and flavoring beer, popular before the extensive use of hops.
Today we tasted Kuhnhenn’s Heather Ale side by side with Mt. Pleasant Gruit.
Kuhnhenn’s beer poured a very light amber color and mostly translucent, reminding me visually of a glass of iced tea. Mt. Pleasant Gruit had a similar color but a bit cloudy. Not much head to either and both faded quickly with minimal lacing.
Aromas match the tea color with scents of black tea and a slight lemon or other citrus lingering. The Mt. Pleasant version had a distinct diacetyl scent of buttered popcorn. I didn’t think it completely over powered the tea and citrus but it was definitely present and am not sure whether it was intentional or not.
With no hops the bitterness I am accustomed to is lacking and in the Heather Ale an almost floral taste mixes with the herbal heather flavors and the malty caramel tones are accompanied with a touch of honey crisp apple. The Mt. Pleasant one brings more of the honey, less of the caramel and almost a cinnamon or nutmeg spiced apples instead of the honey crisp.
Both are fairly light bodied with good carbonation, the Heather Ale being lighter and more refreshing as the Mt. Pleasant Gruit was a touch creamy and leaning towards the medium bodied spectrum.
Over all I thought this style of beer was surprisingly refreshing and drinkable and as my first venture into Gruit’s I left satisfied and would definitely order another next time I need a break from my IPA’s.
Special Thanks to Rick Wilson for comparing notes with me!
visit the brewery webpages for more information
www.kbrewery.com/
www.mtpleasantbrew.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment