Get Sticke With It
No Drought Brewing Company

draught
Moderate amount of creamy ivory head. Translucent, deep orange with a chestnut hue, for the look. Off-dry, medium toast caramel malt and spiced caramel aroma. A big sharp bite, then off-dry, medium caramel flavor underneath the bite, which lasts through the finish.

apparently a collaboration with bellwether, which i somehow missed when i was in here, not sure at which of the two breweries it was produced, had it at no drought, but its great to see this style being taken up by american brewers, a rarity i feel like, no surprise bellwether is involved, they do a lot of less talked about old world styles. i like the execution here, big and malty and red and autumnal, but also way more hoppy than a lot of typical red beers and german styles, robust even in that regard, but i think there is nice balance, and overall this is a fun one. sturdy brick red looking brew, a little haziness to it, kind of gruff and husky from the tap, deepest of amber tones, short but stocky off white head. the nose here is piney hops, baked bread yeastiness, and a lot of toasted type grain richness, earthy and sweet but not over the top on sugars. the flavor hints at molasses on the malt side, a little kilned nuttiness too, somewhat rustic and european, hearty. the hops are all on the back end, even climaxing after the swallow, very pine forward, seem way beyond anything noble and maybe not quite traditional, but i like the bitterness to balance and the fresh element in a beer like this, plus the fermentation is pretty close to right on, so it still hits like a proper sticke type. lots of body but also enough carbonation for it to move, and i like this in this slightly stronger alcohol range, it all works quite well together. some might find this a little abrasive, but i thought it was cool, a neat take on the style. no drought is worth checking out if you have not been, especially for fans of the german styles. just a little raw around the edges still, but this is fun stuff.