Foggy Mist of Morning
Primitive Beer

a treat to drink beer from primitive, and this one is truly weird and cool. a 100% colorado ingredient methode traditionnelle beer, done with wet hops, and almost totally still from the tap, so strange and intriguing! apparently a two year blend, this has insane complexity, like it has the aged hop thing along with the juicy and green fresh hops, really a best of both worlds, from the two extremes, a real clever brew. ever so slightly less than clear, light rust tinted, apple juicy looking with a low shine, a few stray bubbles on the surface but no real carbonation to it. the nose shows raw wheat, lots of minerals, a light spiciness to the fresher side of the hops, an apple cider note, white wine, and lots of oak, really compelling, but somewhat understated on the wild yeast, cleaner than expected, just a little tart. the flavor is interesting too, not as hoppy as it smells or as expected, with a general freshness to counterpoint the oaken maturity this has at its core, but its neither green nor bitter, and stays subtle on the dry hoppy fruity notes, light green grape to me, soft pine and lemon, botanical nuance. rather grainy underneath, lightly toasted almost to me, with some vanilla from the oak, and a definite white wine vibe as it warms. brine and slate, dandelion and pear, some middle sweetness but drier later, faint brett and restrained bacterial twang, almost saison-esque as much as lambic, unique to me but at the same time not strikingly well refined to me either, which is kind of what i need this to be for it to fully hit its stride. i definitely want more bubbles to this for one, but i respect the heck out of the effort though, and really enjoyed this. i need to get into primitive for some beers when i am back in colorado next month, they seem to be doing some incredible stuff, and i have never seen anything like this before! thankful to have encountered it.

I have never, ever had cask pulls as incredible as they are here at Primitve, even including during my time in Belgium. A labor of love indeed, they are putting in the work by pulling the cask until they are satisfied, recirculating as they're able, ultimately presenting you with a perfect pour in a wine tulip that looks like a glass of milk before the insanely fine, densely compacted bubbles surface as a totally flat, nitro-like head over a mildly hazy burnt straw body.

The mouthfeel on this is unbelievably fluffy, while flavor brings fresh verdant threads nearing dill, pairing with the sort of toasted seed qualities I expect from Drie Fonteinen, as well as the same mild grapefruit tartness accompanied by a touch of gently drying white oak.

What a stellar first in-person impression!