Gruit Taste Testing…

Well I waited for a while (actually I didn’t–I tasted this throughout the whole process), however I am finally tasting the finished product. First thought that comes to mind is Whoa! What a wild beer!
Ok, so to be specific here is what I have:

Aroma: Yarrow flower. Ok, some of you may not know what this smells like, but that is the best description. I’ll try to describe it: Slight sour smell with a bit of bitterness. It also has a touch of the mugwort smell. It is funkier than a Saison or other farmhouse ales–very acidic smelling for sure. Doesn’t quite smell like it will be very good to tell the truth. My best impression is a sour smell of what you smell when you go to a natural foods store and there is a mixture of a lot of herbs in the air.

Appearance: Dark brown, very very cloudy, slight reddish hues. Nice thick off-white head that diminishes to a tight white head that leaves almost no lacing. It also leaves a slight film on the glass–most likely from the herb oils.

Flavor: An herbal concoction is apparent in flavor, but the sourness in the aroma isn’t as strong as the aroma. Unlike any other beer I’ve ever had. Slight alcohol warmth, but not overpowering. The sweet gale is apparent, but not overly strong. Finishes surprisingly quite clean!

Mouthfeel: Soft, medium carbonation (I force carbonated), and an overall pleasant mouthfeel.

Overall: It is hard to judge since I’ve never had a Gruit before, however I will say it is quite drinkable, despite what I thought when I first kegged it (the Yarrow was way overpowering). I’m thinking this one may get quite better with age, as the spices will diminish some.

I don’t detect any flaws, so I’m going to go ahead and submit this to a competition to see what the BJCP people think–I’ll post the results when I get them!

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