Faen's Gruit
Wynkoop Brewing Company

I had a "taster" of this when I visited Wynkoop a couple of weeks ago.

My first thought-- it tasted like cough medicine! Since I am a fan of lot of hops, this was definitely not the type of beer for me. Very herbal, tea like, medicinal. I couldn't believe that someone would actually order a pint of this stuff, but the bartender was pouring one as I sampled my taster.

I love most of Wynkoop's beer, but this was too far out of the "beer" category for me. I applaud Wynkoop, though, for being daring enough to put out an ale of this style.

Pretty bizzare brew that the Wynkoop serves year round.
Actually hand-pumped from it's own tap.
A dark brown brew with slight red highlights.
Smell is very sour and floral. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was either some form of wine or maybe even some type of herbal elixer.
Taste is part flander's red-ale, part herbal tea, and part thirstquencher.
Low carbonation makes for a so-so mouthfeel, but makes for a wonderful brew to drink 3-4 of. Alcohol is above average, but is totally masked by the flavor.
Totally unique and worth a try for anyone looking for something new. I personally plan on ordering more of these each time I visit.
Typically the Wynkoop has a 15 minute wait on a weekend evening, which is perfect for downing a pint of Faen's Gruit before dinner.

Beer presented a dark rust with a thin brown head. My first experience trying a gruit and the wiatress offered me a sample instead of a whole glass. Nah, I'll take the pint...getting to the bottom is the only way I'll understand the beer. Smells...menthol lypus (spelling?). Not very beery. Floral spiced, like rosemary or thyme. Tastes a bit sour, definitely manthol lypus, with a hint of a mediciney flavor. Like cherry cough medicine...without the cherry flavoring. I think these flavor stick in my mind most, as the mouthfeel was thick and syrupy. The beer wasn't entirely like drinking cough syrup, but had worn out it's welcome by the end of the pint. I didn't take the last swig or two. As this was the first of the styule I've had, I don't know how it stacks up. Rated to my preferences (but I've been pretty generous).