Beezerker Heather Ale: Pilot Batch #10 - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

Billolick

New York

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled at the mothership yesterday.

Pours darker almond amber, lite khaki head, large and staying for a spell, then a fine bubble film, thicker collar and loads of low sheeting and all over the glass. Fields of fine and quality looking lace. Nice looking beer.

Nose notes include lite smoke. peat, sweet honey and earth.

Brewed by CL. brewer Evan Watson, this is a quite tasty and enjoyable take on that well known hybrid style known as "Scottish gruit/ancient herbed ale" know by few - loved by slighlty more. It's dark and murky, sweet and tasty. Sweet malts, honey, earth, peat, light smoke. Carbonation on the lower side as required by the style, basically right on point.
Sweet malt and honey notes carry through to the end.

Well crafted and highly enjoyable creation from the captain and his crew

Serving type: growler

12-19-2012 23:06:50 | More by Billolick

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Captain Lawrence, Elmsford, NY

Bouncing between a typical Scottish ale and a gruit, Beezerker was listed as being "slightly peat-smoked," using local bee honey, and being dry-hopped with heather in addition to hops. "Best consumed from a Viking drinking horn," but sadly, no CL signature horns were provided.

Poured a hazy mahogany brown color with a small off-white head that receded to a thin ringlet. Caramel malts in the nose, lots of herb scents, as promised, slightly muted and earthy. Taste was nutty up front, caramel and subtle honey (the latter presumably used in the boil, not in the fermentation, I'm guessing), heather flowers with a touch of peat, toasted grains, very mildly smoky, light potpourri, herbal and earthy hops. Medium-bodied and very easily drinkable, though not overly flavorful. Good overall, but I was good after one serving.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2012 14:09:41 | More by Rifugium