Price: $7.29 for 22oz
Brewery: Northern Ales, Northport, WA
Style: Alt (I think)
ABV: 13%
Color: Dark Yellow to bright gold.
Aroma: Sweet, Clover, Basil, hint of Honey
Body: thin
Stomach Aspect: little.
Head: Poured to about 1/8" thin head, dissolved quickly.
Head Retention: none.
Taste: Strong Basil flavor, little honey flavor, tart, hay/straw flavor, maybe even a hint of mint.
Conclusion: The color of the beer is very inviting. The head pour is very disappointing, matures quickly, and then leaves just as fast. Head retention is does not exist either. The aroma of the beer is very offsetting. You definitely smell the Basil, take another sniff and there's some Clover, and a heavy sweet smell. Tasting the beer I really noticed the Basil. The Basil is very prominent, almost too prominent. My mind has wondered to Italian food several times while drinking this brew. Moving the tongue over the tongue the flavor does not really get better, it actually worsens. Midway through the tongue the flavor turns to a sharp, Minty aspect. My breath doesn't smell, it's nice and fresh. Swallowing the beer my taste buds shutter because the Hay/Straw flavors arise. I don't taste much Honey in the beer. I'm not sure what I'm drinking, my mind constantly goes from Mouthwash to Marinara sauce. I've used Rosemary in a batch of mine, but with Herbs as strong as Basil (and Rosemary) you have to very light with them as they have a tendency to overtake the beer as was the case with this brew. I would have to give kudos to the brewery for trying such a different aspect on beer making. I mean not many breweries even put a product made with such ingredients on the market. But I would have to say that maybe this one would be a private drinking only recipe. I was only able to drink eight ounces of this brew, as you know I rarely pour a brew down the sink, but I had to with this one. On a good note, the alcohol aspect is very nice. With 13% it doesn't take much to flush your cheeks.
Public Aspect: Taking this brew with you might entice some to try it just because of the ingredients used. However, once they smell and taste this brew they may not want another taste. Try it in the privacy of your own home, but don't be caught in public with this brew.
