Fructus
Propolis Brewing

Poured into a Pint Defiance tulip, bottle labeled 2016 (opened 2/4/19). The body is a cloudy dark orange, with a humongous white head. Aromas consist of strong brettenomyces, sage, salmon berry, lemon, orange, biscuity malt, blackberry, honey, and vanilla. This is super complex. Flavors are the same. This reminds me a lot of Orval, though that may be because of the long wait in the bottle. The feel is medium bodied with high carbonation. It's really fluffy. Overall, this aged rather well!

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip. This bottle definitely has some age on it (label is 08/13).

Appearance: dark amber hue with a dash of haze and a moderate effervescence. Head pours several fingers of pillowy ivory foam; I like it.

Smell: sweet, malty and fruity; there's a very blackberry-like element here that I rather like.

Taste: sweet and berry-like, like the aroma, with just a little dash of tartness to it. Quite nice.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation and decent creaminess.

Overall: this beer drinks more berry-like than herbal. It's an interesting beer; I am glad I had a chance to try it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into a FW tulip

08 / 13

pours a dark amber color with a very foamy head. pour slowly. smell is very very herbal. taste is very yeasty, herbal. very complex... finishes so dry. interesting beer. i dont get any fruit notes at all. high carbonation. medium body. a real interesting beer. not something i normally drink. recommended for people not looking for the same old thing.

 

 

 

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy tan head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, spice, yeast, and herbal aromas. Taste is much the same with grain and earthy herbal flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that is drinkable but fairly boring in my opinion.

 

 

Poured into a 3 Monts tulip. Pours a hazy red tinted orange amber with a nice three finger off-white head with great retention and tons of pillowy lacing. Aroma of saison yeast and fresh raspberries with a mild mineral component. Flavor is raspberry and strawberry juice, dry saison yeast, biscuit malt. Flavor is pleasant but subdued and falls off quickly with a thin, dry juice finish. A very long but light residual raspberry flavor lingers. Light bodied with nice peppery carbonation. Like most of the Propolis offerings, flavoring is subtle, but nicely balanced and tasty. The light fruit flavors here a nice, but it does finish a bit thin, with the dryness increasing the drop in flavor. This brewery has nicely presented ales and interesting flavors, but perhaps a bit muted in intensity. I've enjoyed all of them so far, but am hoping for a bit more robustness in the future.

Bottled 07/2013

This says it was brewed with raspberries and strawberries.

It pours a turbid dark red with a quilt of toasted cream. Smells of belgian yeast, some clay, some grain and a little sweetness. Flavor is dominated by belgian yeast, some watery fruit juice, some strawberry seeds, malt, and not much else. The body is moderate, but the carbonation is a little too high making the beer foam at the mouth. Overall, I've enjoyed the majority of the beer I've had from this little brewery, but this is low caliber. Not bad, and I'm happy the label doesn't say it's brewed wtih the fruit, since it takes really deep second stage. It's a decent belgian style, but nothing special.