Dulcette
Oxbow Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Can from Blending and Bottling in Portland, ME. Pours a slightly cloudy pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head that stick around, decent lacing; smell is funky wheat bread, floral honey, hints of grass and doughy brioche; taste is flower petals and pollen, funky honey soda, hint of grass, wheat bread and brioche; feel is light and bright, mild acidity, mild carbonic bite. Honey soaked flowers on wheat brioche.

(10 oz draft pour in a fat tulip at Novare Res in Portland, ME on the evening of 21 Apr 2023... just a summary of my hazy recollections of this)

first beer of three (next Rodenbach Grand Cru, last Oxbow Arboreal)... had this along side a board of speck, goat cheese, honeyed craisins and Marconi almonds, etc... hazy yellow straw-colored liquid; tall, sticky-cottony foam... peppery, yeasty, and subtly soapy-floral aromas and flavors... feather-light bodied, delicately effervescent textures, with a slow, pillowy finish... taste is very much textbook as far as the American versions of this style, but nothing distinct; at least it was flavorful and consistently engaging and a fine starter drop to my first visit of this excellent bar (2133)

Glad that I bought a 4-pack from The Beer Temple, who seems to be a solid Chicagoland outlet for Oxbow. I drank Dulcette side-by-side with a favorite new grisette, Sprucette from Maplewood. And I paired both with my world-famous vegetable soup (albeit a below average batch; and both improved the experience, but not that much... given what the grisettes had to work with.)

Dulcette is a very serviceable table ale. Does its job of washing down food and quenching thirst. While I poured a lively head, it became modest for the meal; slightly above average Looks. Smells are mostly citrus and sweet malt. Tastes are balanced, just enough hops enter in and mute the honey. Cleansing and refreshing in my mouth. I will test Dulcette with a variety of foods. But this grisette shows promise.

4/25/23 I couldn't wait and tried Dulcet with a good, but average, pesto and spinach ravioli, both Costco's Kirkland brand. Dulcette's promise shows through. Cut through the olive oil and cleansed the palate of prepared foods salted for the masses. This is a good grissette. I will buy more, I hope.