Green Purl
Sonoma Springs Brewing Co.

 

Thanks to drewone for sharing this one at his place.

Pours a murky reddish-brown that pours with no head. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, and a mix of herbal, floral, medicinal tonic aromas. Taste is much the same with a slightly tart flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of herbal bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp but thin mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is definitely weird and interesting.

 

On tap at Whole foods.

Deep, tarnished copper body. Bubbly, tan head that leaves a small foamy cover.

Smoke and absinthe licorice aromas, due to the worm wood. Cola aromas, almost like Dr Pepper. Light spicing and herbal aromas.

Intense, woody and smokey flavor. Seems like they use smoked malts. Sage flavors typical of the style. Some caramel, and an ever so slight metallic flavor. Licorice tones not as evident in the mouth.

A pretty good gruit. There's a metallic flavor that is hidden in there and that lingers on the finish that I don't like at all, but the rest of the flavors are very nice.

This is a delicious, very characterful gruit-type beer with a lot of well-rounded herbal character. I just had it on tap at Toad in the Hole, Santa Rosa. The description states that it has a small amount of hop added, but that it is a gruit with mostly herbs such as juniper, artemesia, etc., added.

Very dark red-brown, a bit hazy, almost black, it has a nice, creamy tan head steadily shrinking to a foamy ring, a little weak lace.

Aroma is very mild toasty malt, apples, wood.

Taste is delicious creamy woody-herbal bitterness, with jammy dark fruits, some brandied prunes. It has nice, gently and engagingly, but persistently, lingering bitterness with malty sweetness. Overall, it is well rounded, with good complexity and nicely balanced elements.