Two Druids Gruit Ale
Heavyweight Brewing Co.

Two Druids Gruit AleTwo Druids Gruit Ale
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From:
Heavyweight Brewing Co.
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.47 | pDev: 14.99%
Reviews:
81
Ratings:
84
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 19, 2012
Added:
Mar 05, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by yankeeheel:
Photo of yankeeheel
Reviewed by yankeeheel from Maine

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours a hazy amber-orange with no head.

Smells strongly of orange and clove. A lot like mulled cider.

Tastes a lot like mulled cider too except without the cinnamon. Slightly toffee like in it's malt. The flavor dies way too quick and you are left with bubbles.

Mouthfeel is moderate.

It's something I won't be buying again, but it's not terrible.
Apr 08, 2004
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Feb 19, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 01, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by HopStoopid120 from Connecticut

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of Dithyramb
Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

3.64/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
I had this one a looong time ago on tap at Max's here in Baltimore.

In my haste to procure as much Heavyweight before the fall, I've happened upon a few bottles that have got some age on them (~2 years). When I first tried it, it was a watery herby mixture to me, not bad, not awesome. Somehow, this one has gotten a bit more mature and different with age.

It still pours a light yellow with a fizzy, undeveloped head, but the flavor has morphed. The herby concoction has developed brett like funkiness. Smooth, tart, with some herbs still in there if you let it slide over the tongue slowly. A bit clingy on the finish, but not bad overall.
Jul 24, 2006
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This is a bottle of 2 Druids Gruit, pulled from a Heavyweight variety pack (that includes Lunacy, Perkuno's Hammer and Stickenjab, all for later review).

Appearance: The ale is a hazy light orange color. There was a bit of head on first pour, but that didn't last long.

Smell: The lack of hops results in a very interesting spicy aroma from the other bittering agents used. The spices are astringent and tart.

Taste: This beer is unlike most. The lack of hops (and use of rosemary) makes for an interesting taste. The ale has a soft heather-like flavor and what tastes like a kick from brettanomyces (a natural, sour flavor).

Mouthfeel: The ale's bittering agents are very interesting and different. The flavor is very unique and that earns style points.

Drinkability: The drinkability is limited because we are not used to a lack of hops. Check it out though, an interesting style.
Jul 10, 2006
Photo of Westsidethreat
Reviewed by Westsidethreat from California

3.72/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to Sponberg for this one.

A: Almost a tangerine color. Extremely murky, can't see a darn thing thru it. Not much carbonation to speak of...very faint ring of bubbles around the glass.

S: Huh. Aromas of ginger, chamomile and lemon grass. Highly seasoned. Smells exactly like Tension Tamer tea.

T: Lots of sour lemon grass. Ginger, cinnamon, cloves and wheat. Honey sweetness balances the sour. Tartness grows on you as the beer warms.

M: Medium body with soft carbonation.

D: Obviously not an everyday beer, but something worth checking out. Bummer its retired, but I'm pleased I got to try it.
Jun 10, 2006
Photo of Hautacam
Reviewed by Hautacam from Connecticut

3.86/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bright orange..lots of bubbles...no real head... very good looking... like a gueuze.
Smells a little funky at first..horsey...this lightens up with a little degassing. Herbal aromas...citrus ,earthy.
Tastes pretty good...lemony, a little grapefruit, cidery....rosemary is evident. Sour and dry....but not astringent or bitter. Alcohol is well hidden.
Mouthfeel is light and carbonation high.
Fairly drinkable...very different... not like most ales....much more like a spiced, hard lemonade or cider.
Mar 20, 2006
Photo of BadBadger
Reviewed by BadBadger from New York

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A very interesting concoction. Pours a hazy yellow color. The smell is fruity-lemony. Minimal head, resulting from limited carbonation. First taste is like a highly sweetened lemon beverage, not thinking beer here but rather a Long Island Iced Tea, or something along those lines. Subsequent sampling brings out the finer nuances of this unique brew. Fruity and honey are the tatses, which aren't so bad, once your palate comes to grips that there is minimal to no addition of hops to this beverage, along with the near absence of carbonation. Not a bad drink at all. There is a medicinal quality to this...perfect for a sore throat. I wouldn't run out to buy this alone. But definitely don't forgo it if you buy one of Heayweight's variet packs. Appreciate it for what it is and you will be pleasantly suprised. Enjoy!
Mar 15, 2006
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.12/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cloudy muddle tangerine with a small hazy head that dies quickly. Not much lacing. Aromas of citrus fruits, and strange exotic spices abound and meld together to make a new and interesting combination. Taste is herbal and fruity with a bit of a bitter edge to it. This reminds me of some of the Dutch gruits that I have sampled in the past, but it still manages to do its own thing. Mouthfeel is medium/light. Drinkability is good. I've grown to enjoy this one much more than I initially did. Great stuff, but from this brewery why would you even begin to expect otherwise?
Feb 27, 2006
Photo of tgbljb
Reviewed by tgbljb from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a slightly cloudy apricot color with virtually no head. Some particulate matter found floating in the glass. Smell is fruity, tangy, amybe like a zesty orange-lemon juice combo. Taste is tart, makes the mouth pucker, but seems to slowly present some sweeter fruit flavors. Herbs begin to present themselves, and all things considered, it is a strange beer, but it also seems to grow on you with each taste. Leaves a pleasant flavor sensation in the mouth that is extremely refreshing, like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Very easy to drink with no sensation of alcohol. I will have to try this beer again on a hot summer afternoon.
Feb 25, 2006
Photo of BlitzShadow
Reviewed by BlitzShadow from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: The body is deep orange with a 1/4" head. The venue where I enjoyed this beer was a little dark, but it had a nice orange glow with lighting behind it.

Smell: It smells very sweet and tart, with a hint of herbal spice.

Taste: The taste is smooth, sweet, cinnamon (or some similar spice), and tart. It leaves an even tarter aftertaste. There is bitterness, but it does feel like a result of hops.

Mouthfeel: You can't really feel too much of the carbonation and it has a more watery mouthfeel. This may improve if poured straight from a bottle.

Drinkability: I want to have more, but I think I'll switch to something a little less sweet.

Notes: A nice tasty treat, but I don’t think I could drink too many of them in one sitting.
Jan 27, 2006
Photo of Franchise
Reviewed by Franchise from Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Wow, very interesting. If your looking for a different style of brew this is it, with the herbs and spices used to flavor this malty beverage it makes it very pleasing. I poured this beer very softly into the glass but it still created a very thick head beige in color from a golden orange body. The nose of this ale is very floural and herbed, it smells of golden grapes, rosemary, sunkist fruit, fruit punch spiked with rosemary, thyme, and lemon is what comes to mind. The taste is very malty and sweet some what syrupy in the body. It starts with a tangy lemon like quality, then finished with more of a complex herbed honey, caramel sweetness that coats the palate.
Jan 20, 2006
Photo of jaluria
Reviewed by jaluria from Connecticut

3.39/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
An interesting beer to try, but not one I would want to have anytime soon.
Poured a watered-down copper color with virtually no carbonation and a slight head that disappeared quickly. The beer gave off aromas of different spices like cinnamon, dried basil, and paprika along with the aroma of alcohol and fruits. The taste was unique in that the spices acted together to give a taste resembling hops, but not quite. Overall, there was good balance between sweetness and bitterness with a slight advantage going to sweetness. The mouthfeel was a too sticky and overpowering with the different spices fighting for my taste buds. The drinkability is also low because I don't see myself having this again in the near future.
Jan 04, 2006
Photo of Higravity
Reviewed by Higravity from Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
At Max's on tap. Pale yellow orange with a white head that was gone rather quickly. Smelled of a drying herbs, maybe some rosemary and heater and mint. The taste is quite good a touch sour and a really minty finish. Some piny flavor upfront and a little alchol seeped in as well. Good body and a keeper.
Dec 10, 2005
Photo of ElGordo
Reviewed by ElGordo from Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Popped the cap and torrents of foam immediately shot from the mouth all over my kitchen counter. The incredible level of carbonation persists for a good long while after pouring it into the glass. A nice couple of inches of head subsides after a few minutes, but the tiny, tiny bubbles keep on coming.
The body is a slightly hazy brownish copper hue, topped by a head that is light khaki in color. Strong aroma of herbs, stone fruit, and a bit of an acidic, lambic-type quality. Palate is more of the same - spicy herb flavors tempered by dark fruit, some light sweet malt, and a sweet acidic lambic character that provides a bracing tartness. Very interesting. Body is a bit thin but substantial, and the assertive carbonation yields a smooth texture, almost like a tripel. Again, an interesting beer, but not something I'm likely to try again.
Nov 17, 2005
Photo of FLAbeergutinMASS
Reviewed by FLAbeergutinMASS from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a very interesting beer. My first expeirence with this type. Not entirely sure if the ancient Scots had the consistency of this beer, but I'm sure they enjoyed it.

Pale in its appearance, virtually no head, no lacing. Loaded with herbs and spices. There is a fruity bitterness that tags along. The aftertaste is a little sour and and not very complex.

Strangley enough, I like this beer and will look for this style elsewhere.
Nov 07, 2005
Photo of LPorter33
Reviewed by LPorter33 from Massachusetts

2.3/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Purchased single bottle from Federal Wine & Spirits

Appearance = thick, beautiful light peach/amber color. Head was non-existent and lacing was also rather poor. I really enjoy the coloring though.

Smell = Very spicy with a substantial malt backbone. It has a very deep, earthy scent reminiscent of dark fruits.

Taste = This one did not agree with my palate. Maybe it's the unique style but an overwhelmingly sour beer that tastes like someone squeezed 10 lemons into it is not my kind of beer, especially when it doesn't seem to be balanced by much else.

Overall = Only recommended for those interested in trying this style. I will not be sampling this one again and will most likely steer away from Gruit ales as this one hit all "sour" notes.
Oct 22, 2005
Photo of czechsaaz
Reviewed by czechsaaz from Washington

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Perfumy aroma. Herbal and spice character with more sniffs. But mostly I get heather or lavendar. Not unpleasant, but a bit strange.

Orange, cloudy with no head at all.

Very tart, like fresh lemons. A little malt on the back end. The tartness is pretty strong so it's hard to recognize any spices. I do pick up the rosemary in the aftertaste.

Light on body. Light carbonation. Kind of like an older lambic.

I'm a big fan of wild ale/lambic but I have no idea if that's what they were shooting for. I probably like this more than people who aren't fans of sour beers.
Oct 20, 2005
Photo of goodbyeohio
Reviewed by goodbyeohio from Connecticut

3.77/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
looks like peach iced tea, virtually no head. some little white patches here and there, but lifeless for the most part. nose carries a bit of the farmhouse funk, coupled with a melange of spice cabinet craziness. deep wafts bring out hints of stoned rye and black pepper. interesting. flavor here starts with rose petals, continues with sweet rosemary notes. light mouthfeel lets these strong flavors wash through quickly without offending too greatly. actually, not at all. this is like juhlia blended with a mild gueuze. palatable, refreshing, and unique. oh, and it's actually one of the regularly released heavyweight offerings. tom, you are a mad genius for sure. some reviewers recommend aging but i think personally that freshness captures the spice and there is no need for further mellowing. if anything, i'd like this to be a bit more herbal and intense. still good, enjoy!
Oct 18, 2005
Two Druids Gruit Ale from Heavyweight Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 84 ratings