Artisan Series - West Bound Braggot
Twisted Pine Brewing Company

Not a style I've ever had before - and given how hard this one was to find, I doubt I'll have another anytime soon.

Appearance is a cloudy opaque bright gold color. Thin white head dissipates pretty quickly leaving thin layer of foam covering most of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is pretty sweet with some fruity aromas and a bit of funky grape must. Honey, orange, tangerine, white grapes, and some orange rind. Surprisingly quite fruity. A bit medicinal as it warms and the spices come out more. Hints of mint are also noted.

Taste is incredibly unique. There is some light malt character that is quickly overtaken by the mead flavors. Strong white grape must with orange, orange rind and citrus flavors come along. Honey is noted throughout with that citrus flavor - clearly the orange blossom honey used is imparting a strong citrus flavor. Bit of peppery spice on the finish, but its very mild.

Feel is defined by the strong carbonation that provides a very vivacious and prickly mouthfeel. Full bodied and sticky, almost syrupy at points.

Overall this seems like a good braggot.

*This is my first braggot and the bottle I have is a couple years old so take it for what you will*
Look: golden and bubbly, medium white head that fades quickly and leaves minimal lacing

Smell: honey with slight fruit and must

Taste: honey, fruit and Belgian yeast steal the show, a bit lighter in flavor than I expected for 8.5%, flavors are well balanced

Feel: strongest characteristic of this beer, carbonation is present but not overpowering, nice and smooth

Overall: taste like a lighter Belgian style beer with a decent bit of honey added, at first I had mixed feelings about it but it's definitely grown on me as I went through bottle. Quality brew, would love to try it fresh as comparison.

 

 

Pours a clear, gold color. 3/4 inch head of a white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of strong pale malt, sweet malt, citrus, hops, honey, spices, and alcohol. Fits the style of a Braggot. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of alcohol, strong pale malt, sweet malt, slight honey, spices (sage?), slight hops, and slight citrus (lemon?). Overall, a great blend, good body, aroma, decent feel and appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: Gold; can see through but not clearly;
S: Big basil; olive; very savory
T: peppery bitterness; bitter orange peel like campari; alcohol in back of throat;
F: not carbonated for a farmhouse style;
O: Fine, a bit bitter and not always a nice bitter. The savory smells were quite interesting but overall not an amazing.

Poured into a chalice.

Look: Opaque light honey color, golden. A white head recedes to a light wisp. Very light lacing.

Aroma: Orange peel, honey, light pepper notes.

Taste: The sweetness really hits the tongue immediately with citrus orange and honey. There's a black peppery heat barely perceptible in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light for 8.5% ABV.

Overall: Pretty good, easy to drink. Very straightforward in it's taste profile. I had a bottle with a new label though, so this is being brewed again? March 2015.

 

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a hazy yellow-orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, earth, pepper, spice, and slight citrus fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with earth, spice, honey, and pepper flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with an interesting mix of ingredients that work together better in the taste to me.

Serving type: bottle.

 

 

 

 

On tap at the Old Toad in Rochester, NY.

Pours a deep golden yellow/orange, with a 2 inch foamy, fizzy head, and a lot of lacing.

Smells like Citra hops, black pepper, honey, and grass.

Tastes similar, a lot of stuff going on in here, hard to wrap my head around it. Some honey sweetness, some orange and pineapple flavors from the Citra hops, some black pepper spiciness (the Tasmanian pepper berries maybe?). There is a really fresh herbal quality to this, and some gin botanical like qualities to it as well. Really complex and unique. I don't really know what Buddha's hand zest it, or what it tastes like, so I'm not picking it up.

Light bodied, crisp, clean mouthfeel, which is a miracle, given all the flavors that could muddle it up. No bitterness. Medium carbonation.

My first braggot- without comparing it to other braggots, I will say that Twisted Pine knocked it out of the park. I haven't liked many of their other brews, but this hit all the right notes for me.