Witches Brew
Talisman Brewing Company

fun bottle of beer, cool art, cool project, sounds like the females who work here brew this up each year, possibly different every time, i didnt get the full store, but this year this has cranberry and orange and spices in it, a kolsch base they say, but this drinks much more like a witbier to me, pretty clever, and its quite successful overall. a bit more orange and cloudy in the glass than what i think of when i think kolsch, but a tall frothy just off white head makes it look alive and appealing. aroma is slightly tart and astringent, at first it seems like a weird ferment or a little off, but i kind of settle into the idea of it being from the cranberry, and i dig it, this lacks fruity sweetness or concentrated canned cranberry sauce vibes, so its subtle and textural. the orange is bright in the nose, i get coriander, a peppery note, a hint of clove, and maybe even a cardamom or something, slightly soapy and phenolic, but unique enough to be intriguing. the flavor has a bit of a detergent thing going on too, floral and spicy in an almost over the top way also, and the beer feels a little heavy for a kolsch, it lacks crispness, the ferment seems estery and almost belgian to me, but i like the way this is spiced with the orange there too, white and black pepper notes, lemongrass, maybe sage or something, quite unconventional. its a little malty to me, but its not overly fruited which is nice, maybe too bold and full to be super drinkable, but for a fall beer that combines a number of style elements and some pretty cool exotic ingredients not often found together in beer, i was pleased with this. as always with these guys the overall quality could be dialed in a little bit, but this is a fun one, different than other fall releases which i also appreciate. thanks to my brother in law for sharing!