Brut Up
Against The Grain Brewery

Flying in the face of the juicy, floral, fruity and smoothness of the "hazy" IPA, Against the Grain brewers are now countering with a beer of opposite measure; one of dryness, spiciness, crispness and bitterness. Ooooh, the audacity of hops.

Bubbly, bright and cast in a lively golden hue, the slimly hazy Brut Up experiments with the every dry "brut" style of beer making by leading with a scent of hop tea, sharp with under ripened citrus, grassiness, spice and spruce; and with virtually no malt influence to note. Scant sweetness is crisply of cereal, dried grain and a glimpse of honey.

But what sweetness is introduced to the early palate is quickly evaded by the time the beer splashes the middle. Hop dominance comes quickly to the tastebuds with an acute taste of white grapfruit, lemon, yuzu, white grape, passionfruit and gooseberry. Those tangy, zesty and tropical exotic tastes are moderate and much a result of the beer being dry rather than tart. Trending spicy with lemongrass, lemon pepper, green tea and sassafras, the beer's herbal focus leads to a late palate of gin, juniper and spruce.

Moderately light in body, the spritzy flavor and feel has a quick finish accompanied by dryness, shortness and conciseness If utmost drinkability is on your agenda, then this bitter beer leaves the palate refreshed and with a minty cooling and gin spiciness in its wake, even at the risk of becoming slightly seltzer-like.