Basil Ale
Plough Monday

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium orange amber with a slight coppery tone with a half finger white head with good retention and light lacing. Aroma of light caramel malt, apple juice, basil, honey, light stone fruit. Flavor is caramel and bready malt, basil, apple and apricot, finishes with semi-sweet caramel malt, fruit and a little hop bitterness. Medium bodied with light creaminess. This sounded like an odd ingredient for beer, but the basil actually melds with the hops to produce a spiciness that works quite nicely. The malt body is a little on the sweet side, but overall a pleasant support for the herbal flavors. Wasn't sure if I would want two glasses of this, but the basil is handled really well and I enjoyed the entire bottle. This was a stray bottle that showed up in a case of Plough Monday's brown ale, and I'm glad I got a chance to try this one. I think they brew this at the end of the year, so this bottle may have some age on it. If so, it has held up very well and no age flaws that I can detect. I liked this quite a bit.

Poured into a Campbell's Ale tulip glass at cellar temperature. Beautiful red/orange amber hue with frothy white head. Smells like fuji apples, ink, dust, a hint of cinnamon. Tastes big, sweet, cider again, vaguely malty, a drying piquant bitter alcohol funk. Round, buttery, sharp and carbonated in the mouth. This is a weird (which I like) ale, and my favorite offering from Plough Monday so far!

750ml bottle from Lifesource in Salem OR. $6.99..usual good value. Pours a clear golden colour with a small off white head. Aroma of fruity hops, herbs and pine. Some caramel. Taste similar to the aroma but the basil appears stronger. But doesnt really get in the way too much. Liked the carbonation in this lively and light. Maybe a tad too much alcohol showing in the end. Good beer..as usual from PM.