Deux Fleurettes
Epic Brewing Company

On-draught @ Epic Denver.

B- / WORTHY

 

a new one from epic in collaboration with ommegang. its a light belgian style pale with hibiscus and rose hips, a pretty neat use of the flowers too, as the beer would be pretty darn simple and straightforward without them, and so their impact is very obvious, and this beer is almost a learning experience in that way. the rose hips are cool, and especially in this relative isolation. they always seem to be added to beers with things like tea and crazy wild yeasts and barrel treatments, so you never really know exactly what they do, but here its a light citric bitter element they provide, with a softer floral aspect than the more understood (at least for me) hibiscus flowers, but also a lush sort of crisp freshness that i think the beer really needs to feel summery. the hibiscus is appreciably understated here, which i think lets the rose hip shine through more. the base beer is light and clean, not even a little bit hoppy, and with a belgian strain that tastes familiar, but like it was fermented cooler than is common. the beer ends up rather delicate and clean, but its not as interesting as i hoped it would be, and the carbonation doesnt live up to the highly lively flavor profile, i want way more of it. i was a little surprised to see this priced as high as it is, but its an interesting beer and a cool expression of the rose hips. easy drinking stuff too.

The name means "Two Flowers," and it's described as a "Belgian golden ale with hibiscus and rose hips." Lovely pinkish amber with plenty of foam in the big Frydenlund nonic. Sudsy mouthfeel makes for a good gulp. Modest aromas of something spicy and the fruity strange note that is apparently hibiscus. The sweet tang of rose hips is interesting also.

The initial sweetness vanishes in the finish while the perfumey nose follows on and on. Overall this is a thirst-quenching beer for a quaff, not overly flavored. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Grapevine Liquor in Denver.