Celestial Garden
DC Brau Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

My maternal aunt & her husband have been in DC since I was a wee one & I have visited our nation's capitol almost as often as PHL & a few other world cities. As I grew older, more independent & a whole lot more anarchical, I was given greater autonomy to explore & do my own thing. I still have a place to stay, but when they are out of town, I will CouchSurf or find a local Youth Hostel with an available bunk. Such was the case as my Pens played the Caps in Game 5, which the former lost on the way to their eventual Stanley Cup victory. I awoke the following morning, checked out & hit the nearby liquor store which was just opening for the day. I know how to scour for CANQuest (tm) CANs & I was on the prowl when I spotted this mixed-six. I inquired of the proprietor if there was a limit. "Pheh! My son accepts these from the distributor while I am away! They don't move. Limit? Your credit card!" 8=O! I was stunned, but reserved myself to one for me & one for my returning in-person trader, tone77.

From the CAN: "Stemming from a longtime friendship, DC Brau Brewing and Austin Beerworks are proud to present the fruits of our cross country collaboration."; "This India Style Pale Lager was brewed with peaches, apricots and tangerines. We hope you enjoy the bounty of the Celestial Garden."

I Crack!ed open the CAN to a gentle wafting of fruity odors & I decided to be gentle in my Glug. It seemed to be pouring clearly enough, but once in the glass, it had a faint haze which I hope clears. In the interim, an in-glass swirl raised a finger of foamy, egg nog-colored head with modest retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7), but The Gelt Gang prefers 24-carat clarity, so they took a pass. The nose was loaded with fruit! I got apricots & tangerines immediately & warming, the peaches became peachy as well. I think that they also included Simcoe hops as I got a light cattiness. Mouthfeel was big & soft for a lager, not full, but bigger than I would have expected. The fruity taste was quite refreshing and the hops lent it a grapefruit tang that was just right for the mélange. I wish two things: 1) a lower ABV to make it more sessionable & 2) that it become a year-'round release with tweaks as to the fruit based on annual availability. Strawberries might be a nice addition, for example, or simply as an alternative. Finish was semi-dry, despite all of the fruity flavors. I could drink this all day, but I have a feeling that the ABV might act as a Sneaky Pete & get me when I am unaware. That is this beer's only real downside.

 

A thanks to the commander of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of citrus hops. Taste is grapefruit, malts, light grassiness, clean and refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a great thirst quencher on a warm night.

 

 

 

 

Light orange body , mostly clear, with a thin, off-white head. Aromas of sourdough bread, earthy hops, citrus, lager yeast. Earthy, bready with mild bitterness. Malty aftertaste. Decent.