Soft Rays
Grimm Artisanal Ales

this is wonderful, can conditioned for sure it seems, herbal saison, funky, spelt based, low alcohol, subtly intriguing, been too long since i had me some grimm beer! this is done with saffron, st johns wort, and tulsi, so unique, i love this kind of botanical thing, i love it in saison, and i love this one. its definitely showing the saffron, to me it has an almost sunny delight color, gorgeous under a tight and creamy almost inch of lasting and dense white foam, rocky and lacy, there is some light haze, and its slightly thicker at the bottom. the smell is just a little odd from the yeast, like a sourdough starter getting going, a french saison ester that is familiar, a white wine note, some light soapiness, minerality, and zizzle, but not tart. i smell citrus too, bitter herbal greenness, cantaloupe, tea, and the basil. light funk in the flavor but less outwardly yeasty to me, just saison now, maybe a kombucha thing to it, but theres a lot more going on here than just the ferment. i can taste and feel the spelt, a great core for this, fluffy and organic, rustic even, distinct, sets everything else up well. the saffron has that dusty and chalky thing, is obviously floral, its easy to place in this, a cool ingredient for a beer, and i like burps it makes, and there are a lot of them, this is way carbonated. a freshness from the herbs is apparent throughout, basil for sure, light soapiness, some weird bitterness late, a slight chemical funk too, but lots of saffron, some hops, starchy, creamy, effervescent, dry, odd but addictingly good. love these kinds of ingredients in beer like this and was real impressed with it overall. grimm continues to rule, wish i had better access! this is totally original.

 

(16 oz can, canned on 06/05/23, 'spelt saison with saffron, St. John's wort, and tulsi'; purchased cold single from Pinocchio's today... poured into my Allagash classic chalice)

L: slightly-hazy, pale peachy-yellow liquid; the foam even has a subtle turmeric-y tint to it, not to mention being rocky and pillowy in contour... striking to the eye, to say the least

S: oh baby! this is what I'm talking about!... saffron wonderfully potent; I've had tulsi tea plenty of times and I do feel it's providing the earthy static below... bold and blaring; intense and attention-grabbing

T: saffron dominant first drop to last, but it's igniting my curiosity and imagination... I don't think there's basmati rice in this brew, but I taste it... the aftertaste is similar to a tulsi-turmeric-ginger tea I drink too much off and on; it's not overtly 'ginger'-like, but certainly 'spicy', almost masala-like... dry and starchy; little unencumbered malt expression; perhaps a touch of husk?... is it the color, or am I also getting canteloupe; make no mistake, this is far from fruity-sweet, but fruit flourishes abound, as does a slowly emerging aftertaste of barnyard

F: the St. John's wort and tulsi might be conspiring to create that peppery, herbal bite on the middle of the tongue, flaring out toward the back of the throat; spicy warmth gradually works its way up into the backs of the nostrils... it's light in its flow, but has a soft wheaty weight in its finish, while the spicing sears off any potential residuals; a wheated beer with a hollowed-out mid-floor... drying and electrifying

O: not nearly your typical saison, and thank heavens for that!... certainly not to the taste of hardly anyone, but I feel like this was made for me, haha... do I and do I now need more of this and beers like it; a herbalists dream (2221)