Spruce Goose
Candia Road Brewing Company
- From:
- Candia Road Brewing Company
- New Hampshire, United States
- Style:
- Fruit and Field Beer
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- +8 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.38 | pDev: 0.68%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 10, 2023
- Added:
- Oct 02, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Candia Road Brewing Co. "Spruce Goose"
1 PINT can without production codes or freshness dating
$@ Candia Road Convenience, Manchester, NH
Notes via stream of consciousness: Ahhh, a spruce beer! There's no production date on the can but I'm assuming this is made from newly formed spruce shoots which would mean it was brewed in spring. It's poured a cloudy golden-orange body beneath a finger thick head of white foam. The aroma clearly displays spruce over a sweetish malt base. I'm quite sure of that as I considered brewing a spruce ale myself this year and was out testing spruce shoots by rubbing them between my fingers and tasting them. That project never happened but... It's an interesting aroma that holds your attention, there's the evergreen which is slightly floral, and some herbal notes, and a little bit of yeasty fruitiness and sweetish malt. On to the flavor... it's not surprisingly much different from the aroma. The spruce remains, just as soft and mild as it is in the nose but still quite clear, and there's also the fruitiness (apple, orange), and the same piney/herbal notes which may or may not be coming from hops. I wonder if you gave this beer to someone to taste blind would they get that it's a spruce ale? The only other examples I've sampled have had a much harsher, more raspy and aggressive spruce flavor. Perhaps that has to do with the spruce used, and how young or old the shoots were. I'm getting a little more peppery spice now that it's warming, and that's a little bit of what I was calling 'raspy' in those other beers, but this is still smooth. The head has dropped to a collar now, and the lacing is just tiny spots. Back to the flavor, it's not that bitter but the lightly biscuity and honey-sweet malt is nicely balanced along with the evergreen. It finishes spruce-like, woody, peppery/spicy, and lightly herbal and earthy. I am really liking this! In the mouth it's medium-light on body and smooth with a very fine-bubbled moderate carbonation that seems natural - whether it is or not I don't know, but it works perfectly. I think any more carbonation might make it a little too spicy/piney. I've only drank about half of it at this point, but in considering its "drinkability" in terms of volume I think you could very easily enjoy another one, and then even a second of third after that! My fear, and what I've found in other spruce beers, is that the spruce will build on your palate, or you'll just get tired of it, but I'm not finding that here at all. For those that like botanical beers, or gruits, or herbal beers, or even just different beers, this is really one to try. I can only hope that they brew this again next year and that it turns out every bit as balanced and rounded as it is.
Review# 6,273
Oct 03, 20181 PINT can without production codes or freshness dating
$@ Candia Road Convenience, Manchester, NH
Notes via stream of consciousness: Ahhh, a spruce beer! There's no production date on the can but I'm assuming this is made from newly formed spruce shoots which would mean it was brewed in spring. It's poured a cloudy golden-orange body beneath a finger thick head of white foam. The aroma clearly displays spruce over a sweetish malt base. I'm quite sure of that as I considered brewing a spruce ale myself this year and was out testing spruce shoots by rubbing them between my fingers and tasting them. That project never happened but... It's an interesting aroma that holds your attention, there's the evergreen which is slightly floral, and some herbal notes, and a little bit of yeasty fruitiness and sweetish malt. On to the flavor... it's not surprisingly much different from the aroma. The spruce remains, just as soft and mild as it is in the nose but still quite clear, and there's also the fruitiness (apple, orange), and the same piney/herbal notes which may or may not be coming from hops. I wonder if you gave this beer to someone to taste blind would they get that it's a spruce ale? The only other examples I've sampled have had a much harsher, more raspy and aggressive spruce flavor. Perhaps that has to do with the spruce used, and how young or old the shoots were. I'm getting a little more peppery spice now that it's warming, and that's a little bit of what I was calling 'raspy' in those other beers, but this is still smooth. The head has dropped to a collar now, and the lacing is just tiny spots. Back to the flavor, it's not that bitter but the lightly biscuity and honey-sweet malt is nicely balanced along with the evergreen. It finishes spruce-like, woody, peppery/spicy, and lightly herbal and earthy. I am really liking this! In the mouth it's medium-light on body and smooth with a very fine-bubbled moderate carbonation that seems natural - whether it is or not I don't know, but it works perfectly. I think any more carbonation might make it a little too spicy/piney. I've only drank about half of it at this point, but in considering its "drinkability" in terms of volume I think you could very easily enjoy another one, and then even a second of third after that! My fear, and what I've found in other spruce beers, is that the spruce will build on your palate, or you'll just get tired of it, but I'm not finding that here at all. For those that like botanical beers, or gruits, or herbal beers, or even just different beers, this is really one to try. I can only hope that they brew this again next year and that it turns out every bit as balanced and rounded as it is.
Review# 6,273
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