Black Forest Belgian Dark Ale
Potlatch Brewing Company

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark orange brown with a fizzy off-white head that dissipates to nothing with slight lacing. Aroma of candi malt, plums, raisins, cinnamon, and faint conifer. Flavor is wheat malt similar to saison malt, plums, raisins, a touch of caramel and vague conifer needles, mostly in the finish which is dry. Medium bodied with light creaminess; sharp carbonation. An idiosyncratic take on a Belgian dark ale, somewhat expected from the addition of spruce tips. Has a drier grainier wheat flavor to the malt and thus a drier overall profile than the sweeter classic Belgian dark ales. Solid dark dried fruit flavor, but subdued fir character; there is a light astringency to the finish that is similar to pine needles or wood, but the brighter spruce resin is mild. The more I drank this, the more I noticed a lingering faint spruce flavor that was rustic and forest-like. Interesting, but not quite what I expected. ABV well covered. Cody is still quite creative with his brews and I miss the combo of interesting food and unusual beer from the Gastropod days. Checking out his new brewery location is on my to-do list.