Squirrels On Geese
Birdsong Brewing

 

 

 

 

Birdsong took their "Higher Ground IPA," aged it in oak barrels (which formerly contained Chardonnay), and then bottled it up in 22 oz. bombers. I didn't know all of this when I bought it, though: I recognized the brewery as a local one I like and, most importantly, the lable had goggle-clad squirrels piloting geese. How could I leave that on the shelf?

I took the bottle home and refrigerated it, then opened it the next day. The first thing I noticed was there was virtually no hiss, which concerned me. Also, it is bottle-conditioned, so there was a lot of residue around the mouth. I poured it into a pub glass, and there was zero head. I sniffed, and the smell was somewhat bland, but I was relieved it wasn't skunky. Still, I was afraid I had just squandered 9 bucks.

But the taste was a delight! Smooth and earthy...malty, but with a pleasing, balanced bitterness, yet no bite. It reminded me somewhat of a Scottish Ale - kind of like Founder's "Dirty Bastard," but with a wee bit more complexity. It would have likely benefitted from a tad more carbonation, but I enjoyed it very much. I'd buy another bottle if I came across it; I'd be interested in comparing it to the first.