Holzhausen Festbock (Steel & Oak collaboration)
Persephone Brewing

Look: Clear tan color. Almost no head on the pour, it was all gone in a few seconds. No lacing. Medium bubbles formed on the glass and then quickly disappeared. Not many bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.
Smell: Sweet floral and unidentified fruit scents (citrus mostly) with a small malt component. Swirling the glass kicked up some yeast and a little more malt.
Taste: A little bitter and sweet. Evergreen wood (fir as per the label) and pitch with some campfire smoke dominated the flavor profile. The tastes turned more bitter over time. The aftertaste was fresh split softwood and the campfire.
Feel: Fairly low carbonation so it took a while to foam up. Somewhat astringent after swallowing.
Overall: I think the Douglas Fir was a poor choice for the wood due to the pitch flavor it added. Hardwood would have been a better choice, but since the West Coast has limited hardwood selection, cedar might have worked and been more of a local contribution. It did remind me of camping trips where the wind kept shifting and burning our eyes every few minutes. Since this is a collaboration beer, this same review has been posted to the Steel & Oak page.