Two Beers / New Belgium - Grafft IPL
Two Beers Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

Light golden color with a modest head in the Kasteel chalice. In the mouth it's not overly carbonated. Quite a thin body. Pleasant cidery nose.

Light maltiness. The appley flavor is quite nice. A pear skins sort of tannic edge. This makes me think of a Saison only without the yeasty kind of bitterness and the drying edge. This one is all hops. The hops are listed as Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin with IBUs at 53. Two great hops, but too much of something as the finish gets very bitter.

I liked this a lot for about half the bottle. Overall this is a little too bitter, even with food (smoked salon omelet with coleslaw and rye toast). From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Central Market - Shoreline in north Seattle.

 

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a light golden amber with a finger of pure white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of citrus and apple juice, lightly vegetal. Flavor starts with cidery apple juice and citrus, semi-sweet with light neutral malt with slow increase in the intensity of the apple flavors until a very bitter, herbal juniper and graperfruit rind hop bitterness kicks in. Finishes with a long, almost astringent bitterness. Medium bodied. Possibly one of the most dramatic and interesting flavor progressions I've noticed in a beer. The first progression with the fruit flavors becoming slowly, lightly more intense is nice, then the herbal bitterness is surprising and intriguing. I suspect that with a different flavor profile, the final bitterness would be to harsh and offputting, but I found myself returning the glass to see if this was really as fruit forward as I thought and it was. I was a bit leary of this one from the description, but I think they pulled it off. I suspect the middle fruit flavors are coming from the Nelson hops kicking in after a cidery introduction. Odd but tasty. I can see why the reviews are all over the map on this one, but I'd recommend a try if you want to see what hops do to a cider / lager hybrid.