Wild Grapevine Wee Heavy
Scratch Brewing Company

a really cool beer, most of them are from these guys. this is a darker scotch ale type, brewed with roasted locally foraged grapevine, an interesting ingredient in a beer, the first i have seen it used for sure. deep brown in color with some red along the edges of the glass from the tap at the brewery, not much head on it but still interesting to look at, long legs on the edges of the glass and a nice shine. it smells real interesting, light smoke and sweet caramelized grain sugar right up front, brown sugar and port wine, a light tang and a rustic sort of belgian yeast complexion to it, odd and unexpected in the style, not as funky as some of their more wild stuff, but a cool yeast layer here. the grapevine they tell me was pretty thick, cut into chunks, and then roasted before being added to the brew. i get an almost wood fired element here, the roasted part coming through as much as the vine itself, which is woody and earthy and even a little sweet, subtle raisin and vegetal freshness to it at the same time. its super well integrated too, the malts of the base beer on the darker side for the style are fully compatible with the roasted nature of the vine, and the almost medicinal properties it imparts are nicely absorbed into the whole. really interesting and layered brew, a cool use of an unconventional ingredient, and one that i would love to encounter again. less carbonation than it could have, but so smooth and complex, especially when it warms up a bit, i wouldnt change a thing! scratch is absolutely one of my favorites, and its beers like this that set them apart!