A Dozen Roses
Purpose Brewing and Cellars

my first beer from these guys, and actually the first i have really heard of them, the fort collins beer scene has truly blown up in the last year and a half or so, i used to think i knew it well and now there are all kind of new players, i need to spend a little more time there! this is a cool beer, a lightly wild saison base spiked with beets, hibiscus, roses, and some other botanical elements. its a pinkish red brew, nice color depth, not a ton of head to it, and not quite clear. it smells earthy, i get the beets up front a little bit, also a mildly funky yeast, new and not quite at maturity, but a neat wrinkle there that helps transition from earthy to floral, lots of rose and perfumy hibiscus, some bitterness apparent from them too, fresh and interesting though, very spring even though this was likely brewed for valentines day. the flavor is a little less compelling than the nose, with the added elements coming on all at once, kind of muddling one another, itd be better if they each had their moment, but in competition rather than cooperation, the hibiscus and rose "win" meaning they are the most obvious, but im not sure thats a win for the beer overall, very fragrant and floral perfume character, almost too much, but at the end the beets do come back a little, understated but balancing in a needed way. its dry which is cool, a tad under carbonated, but fuller feeling in body with a nice yeast quality in the finish. a really unique and ambitious beer, not totally perfectly executed, but this is a really promising introduction to purpose!

edit: just had the 2020 vintage on tap at the brewery and wow, its phenomenal. not sure if the recipe has changed or what, still done with fresh roses, beet powder too apparently, unique! its brighter in color and carbonation than i remember, its delicate and incredibly interesting, and really seems more refined than i recall. some nice light funk to this, a little floral sweetness, i really taste the roses but the earthy beet is there too, crazy complex, springy and wet and earthy, majorly impressive now! 5.7% abv now too, a little lighter. definitely raising some scores to reflect the awesomeness of the latest vintage! i was stoked on my visit here!