The Porcupine and The Snakes
Mad Fritz

This one really scored for me on uniqueness - pours a pale straw color with almost no head. The nose is naturally very botanical, hitting on juniper, rosemary, thyme, and grass. Somewhat gin like but smooth finish with little booziness. Not an everyday drink but super interesting.

Lightly foggy burnt straw yellow with a somewhat sparsely uneven white foam head that dies fairly quickly for a Mad Fritz beer.

Aroma is extremely herbal and alpine, as the redwood presents perhaps a bit like spruce top but with a tinge of peach.

Taste of mint leans more into lime, but with a very faint tartness. A gently soft fizz brings up some floral and rosemary notes in the semi-dry finish.

It's all somehow balanced and fairly drinkable, coming together like a moderately spiced blonde with a bit of mixed culture, unsurprisingly.

Ok. I had never tried a Gruit before. Pours a light, slightly cloudy yellow and with a herb smell. Similar to my first sour, this was like a party in my mouth. You must try when you have the chance. Rather than just a one time try, I actually bought a bottle and will continue to do so in the future.

BREWER'S NOTES:
A Gruit is a very old beer style brewed in the 10th century prior to when hops were used in beer. It is often brewed with herbs and botanicals that offer both flavor, aroma and at times a very light bitterness. We have brewed this several times using Angelica, Redwood branches in the mash, Rosemary, Lemon Verbina, Wild Mountain Sage, Lavender Flowers and Strawberry Mint. We brewed both with David Arthur Vineyards water (Mountain Well Water from Volcanic Aquifer) and 30% malted wheat with the balance being 2 row Copeland Syskiyou County, CA. The yeast selection was a neutral ale yeast although aromatically it is driven by the Angelica which gives the beer a more Belgian personality.