Birch Cranberry
The Grain Shed

not really sure what the base type is supposed to be here, quite malty, bready, almost sort of quad-esque to me, but american strong seems most catch all and appropriate for this. its their lester cup entry this year, which is a cool little locals brewing competition, done with birch bark and cranberries, not sure the special grain element, but all their beers have one it seems, and this is definitely unique. its a bit sweeter than i was expecting, but nice for the morning time, not too heavy on cranberry either, some dried fruity sweetness like raisin to me, and some tartness too i guess, but this is way more malty than fruity, brown sugar and maple come to the fore, i definitely convince myself that i taste birch syrup in this, its very complex, full bodied, and sweet, but it has layers for days and its wholly original to me. minimally cranberry though, which i kind of wanted more of, it drinks like halfway between a sweet bock and a quad but with a neutral fermentation profile. more carbonated than their others ive had in the past, and really pretty nuanced, different, and professionally executed, just a little alcohol at the end to cut the sweetness and help it finish. not sure who won or is going to win the lester cup, but i could feel good about voting for this knowing no other beers in the contest, not that i did, but i could, its very good, one of a kind. this brewery is so underrated and underappreciated, their beer is thoughtful and smart and their food is lights out. i crave more of this...