Hemptober Spliff
KettleHouse Brewing Co. (Southside Taproom)

 

 

 

Growler acquired from the brewpub in Missoula, Montana. It's nice to have family willing to bring beer from abroad.

A: Amber with a heavy favoritism towards mahogany/ruby reds. Semi-dark wood stains with some off white bubble/foam character that highlights the woody character to the appearance. Looks just like a dark stained patio with some fresh rain on it. Two finger foam with a waffle formation, streaks of cobweb lacing. Nice looking beer.

S: Slightly aged banana peel with some nutty mush character. Chestnuts, acorns, and other dark nutty shells come to mind. Slight vanilla pudding smell that I really like, it seems to emerge somewhere between the yeast and malt. I think this is a really nice smelling beer. Nice pronounced lager nose.

T: Little mild white pepper character, nice presence of a bitter hop that mingles well with rustic bread malt. Light cherry skin taste that seasons the nutty mushes. bit of cider flavor with cider seasonings of cinnamon and mild burnt sugar. Alcohol appears a bit in the flavor than the nose, adds a light sherry like wetness. Lots of porridge mush flavors that pop with the banana peel yeast.

M: Lofty and light-medium feels in the mouth. Soft release in the carbonation that leaves a musky humidity behind alcohol warmth. A nice match in terms of the mushy nut flavors and drinkability. Not too drying, no medicinal after feels or flavors. Very solid job here. Satin in the mouth with some nice low grade sandpaper textures in the end.

O: I'm not sure what the hemp does for this beer, but it's really a great seasonal. A wonderful balance between fruit, nuts, and bitterness. This is an outdoor session brew that would do excellently at the end of a hike or a day or climbing. I can feel my dreadlocks forming and the cling of acai granolas filling up my multi-purpose camping bowl. Alcohol flavor in the end gives this a very fancy spiked cider character that I like quite a bit. little bit of apple linger behind old banana peel that makes me think there's more in here to pick out. A solid lager that I'd be happy to drink again, just make sure its super fresh. I see this one falling off quickly.

Picked up this bad boy growler from the brewery on our recent trip to Montana. Got to savour a sample, and I says to myself, I says, "now THAT is growler worthy!" The color was a deep, cloudy copper with a creamy, dark white sediment stuck to the side. The smell was quite hoppy, but had a hint of the hemp. The taste was similar to an IPA, but not as bitter. A smooth, creamy mouthfeel, that definetely made this easily drinkable. I don't know the alcohol content, but it went down smooth. One side note, you do have to drink this while it's cold. If you let it warm up a bit, you can really taste the alcohol coming out. A very interesting seasonal from the makers of Bongwater.