Bo & Luke: Sassafras
Against The Grain Brewery

750ml bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a thin film

S- aroma gives a bit of a sassafras mixed with spruce wood note, along with a hint of mint and fennel seed. Undertones of the base beer give dark chocolate and that classic smoke, which adds a bit of pork note

T- the wood influence is immediately noticed up front with the sassafras coming through, as well as some minty notes and resinous pine. Mid-palate gives undertones of anise and fennel, as well as more woody notes. The finish brings out the smoke, although it was subdued a bit by now. It lingers around along with more chocolate and wood

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into a warming, slightly creamy finish

 

You ever have smell or taste take you back to a memory in time? One sip of this and I was reminded of once chewing on a sassafras twig at camp heritage in boy scouts.

This beer tastes every bit like sassafras smells (and tastes).

It's the rich smokey base with a clove and fennel like essence of the wood. It's thick and full like the original and other variants. Filling, robust, and heavily licoriced in this variant.

I personally consider Bo and luke a greatly underrated beer, but I'm a smoked beer fanatic. With the less than stellar reception the base beer receive's I imagine most would greatly dislike this variant for the unique phenolic clove like spice the wood brings. But if you're into rich, smokey, and unique this may be your huckleberry.