Haarlem Globefrotter
Against The Grain Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dutch Lentebier, what? Anyway, deep golden/copper body. Nice little white-ish head. Aromas are toasted malt, caramel malts, and perhaps something like grains of paradise? Flavor is clean and refreshing. Malty with some Witbier like spices, yeast and a touch of citrus. No clue what I should have expected from this, but it was certainly enjoyable and easy drinking.

this hit or miss saga continues with these guys, but this one is spot on. cleverly named like they all are, its a dutch spring beer, a style we dont hardly ever see here, but one that i think deserves more attention after this. its blonde and only a little hazy, with a great tall white head on it and a lot of carbonation. smells like coriander a little bit, toasted seeds, earthy but dry. there is a honey note to the taste that i really like, floral and blooming, fits the spring bill really well and plays well with the coriander. the grain base is hard to figure, surely barley based, but a cool toast to it and maybe some wheat as well. i love how much body it has, and how its got a honey sweetness in the middle but finishes extremely dry. the yeast is loosely belgian, but its new to my palate, at least in this context. i liked this a whole lot, and think it would be cool to brew the same exact beer but ferment it with a saison strain or even a mild brett. make it justb a little funky, would really pop off. id like to see more of this style spring up (pun intended) next season. one of the better beers i have had from these guys, hands down.

From the brewer: take on a Dutch Lentebier, this is the quintessential spring brew for people who enjoy flavor. The Lentebier was popularized in the Dutch town of Haarlem but has not gotten nearly enough attention here in the US. It could be described as a strong hoppy Belgian blonde with coriander. Look for a bouquet of crisp flavors and aromas to rub up on you, whether you want it or
not. Citrussy hops pair perfectly with the subtle toasted coriander notes, and a full, slightly malty body adds just a hint of sweetness. Go ahead, own your inner frotteur. It’s totally normal. Something like 30% of people do it.

Got to meet some of the crew at CBX in Charleston, picked up a growler.
A: pours a 2 finger off white foam head that fades to the perimeter, deep golden copper body, a small amount of lacing, some carbonation
S: Toasted malt, caramel, some brown sugar, orange peel
M: medium body with some maltiness that sticks to the tongue
T: slight flavor of toasted malt, some citrus flavors including orange and grapefruit, and hint of Belgian candy sugar, slight pine resin leaving some bitter notes at the end of the profile.
O: great brew that you could drink a few in one sitting, I hope they will make this again.