GENSTE GRUUT BLONDE ~ GENTSE GRUUT STADSBROUWERIJ

This gruut (gruit) was sampled in Ghent where the beer is brewed in a microbrewery.It is advertised as a gently barleyed beer with a neutral, light and sweet flavour arrived at by using a special selection of herbs. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a hazy golden hue with a moderate white head which left lots of lacing. The nose contained notes of fruit, yeast, a sweetness, florals, herbs, spice with gentle malts. The taste was both sweet and bitter. Sweet fruit and yeast phenols with cereal malts and spice and with a bitter and finish The body is medium, the mouthfeel is slightly creamy and the carbonation is on the soft side. Nicely balanced mild blonde ale. Very drinkable.

5.5% from Ghent, Belgium

TRICERATOPS TRIPEL ~ BEAU’S

9% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario

Triceratops is a triple gruit was made for the 5th annual International Gruit Day day and Beau’s Fe’brew’ary. This gruit is a marriage between a Belgian style triple and a great, which were flavoured with a variety of botanicals. This one includes bog myrtle, lavender and heather flowers. Sampled on draught this brew poured a hazy orangey yellow with a modest light white head. The head stuck around before settling into a cap and leaving lacing behind. The nose is quite floral with hints of fruity Belgian yeast. Notes of grass, lemon, lavender, pepper, fruit and grains are present. The flavour is a melange of spicy, fruity, herbal, sweet, floral, earthy and lightly bitter. The finish is off dry and has a warming boozy quality. The beer was medium bodied with moderate carbonation. This is an interesting hybrid recommended to the adventurous.

BUENOS DIAS ~ BEAU'S

Buenos Dias is the latest offering in Beau’s Gruit Series – though it does contain hops. It is brewed with organic lime juice, orange and lime peel, and sea salt (sounds like a gruit-gose baby to me) Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a hazy pale straw colour with a small white foamy head. The head settled quickly but lively carbonation stuck around. The gentle nose contained notes of citrus – the lime being more dominant than the orange), with subtle spice. This beer is really refreshing – the lovely lime is accented with a slight saltiness at the end – just like a margarita. There is some subtle spice and grains and malts tucked in there too. The finish is clean and dry and the mouthfeel is slightly creamy. Really enjoyed this beer – great summer refresher!!! Will pick up a few more bottles of the for sure!

4.5% from Vankleek Hill, Ontario

ORIGINAL GRUIT ~ BEAU'S

This beer is part of Beau’s Gruit series, began in 2015. Gruits date back many years, long before the Bavarian Purity Act that declared that beer can only be brewed with four ingredients (water, yeast, malt and hops) and were popular when hops were unavailable or taxed too heavily. Gruits are brewed using a variety of herbs and plants to replace the dominant hop flavours of the beer. This gruit contains three popular historical ingredients: bog myrtle, yarrow and Labrador tea. Labrador tea is the common name for three plants in the Heath family that are used to make herbal tea. This tea is well known to the Inuit and Athabascan Peoples. Sampled from a bottle, this brew poured a clear intense gold with an apricot hue, with a small foamy off white head. The aroma had fruity and herbal notes, along with malts, herbs and spice. The flavours were a nice balance of citrus and fruit, herbal and floral notes and grainy malts. This is a much subtler gruit than their Bog water, which features myrtle much more predominantly. The finish features tannins from the teas and a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and carbonation was moderate. I look forward to other herbal experiments and new versions in this series.
6.3 % From VanKleek Hills, Ontario

INGREDIENTS: Local Spring Water, Organic Malts, Wild-harvested Labrador Tea, Organic Bog Myrtle, Organic Hops, Organic Yarrow, Brewer’s Yeast.
MALTS: Pilsner, Vienna, Carahell, Carafoam, Acidulated (All organic)
HOPS: Perle (Organic)
YEAST: German Ale Yeast

BOG FATHER ~ BEAU’S

’This Imperial Gruit is the Big Brother of the “Bog Water”, reviewed August 2015. (Bog water review here).  I was under the impression that gruit’s were bittered by botanicals other than hops, but this one contains hops as well as an array of other botanicals. That being the case, I am not sure why they can call this a gruit. Gruit can take on many flavours of the local flora and fauna, and taste varies widely. Sampled on draught, during Gruit week, this beer poured a dark brown with a honey amber hue much like a porter or a stout. A generous cap of white head sat atop the beer, and lasted for quite a while. The nose reminded me of a Belgian triple. Raisins and dates, Belgian yeasts, cola, dark toast, liquorice, fruity esters, Demerara sugar and herbs and spice make up the nose. The taste was very similar to the nose with fruits, spice, toast and Belgian yeasts. The double mash of dark malts, Belgian Trappist ale yeasts and bog myrtle, used in the brewing all lend a character to the brew. Bog father had a medium body with a creamy warming feel. I very much enjoyed this!
This beer was originally brewed in very limited release in 2008. This is its second appearance since then and a big fan favourite.
8% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario 43 IBU

Malts: Munich, pilsner, caramunich, carafoam, acidulated, carafa (all organic)
Hops: Organic simcoe
Yeast: Monastery ale

Other: Organic sweet Gale, Organic Yarrow, local spring water.

TYRANNOSAURUS GRUIT ~ BEAU’S 

In honour of Gruit day (February 1st) Beau’s has created this most interesting Gruit. Gruits are beers that date back before the Bavarian Purity acts that declared the only ingredients a beer could have was barley, hops, yeast and water. In a gruit herbs, spice and other botanicals are used as bittering agents and flavour. Gruits have many many flavour combinations depending on the foliage (terrior) that grows around the brewery.
This beer has been brewed once and is on a seasonal and limited release. Sampled on draught this beer poured an intense bright red (much like cranberry juice) with little head. The red come from the beets that this gruit was brewed with, along with hibiscus flowers. The nose is very light and contains beets and subtle floral notes. Beets dominated the initial taste of this beer, both lending their sweetness and their earthiness. I found the beet a little cloying at first, but getting beyond their initial flavour the subtle flavours of the hibiscus emerged. Though this beer contained spruce tips and juniper berries, I could not easily identify them. The brew was mild with a light mouth feel. Very different, not for everyone, but worth a taste.

5.8% from Vankleek Hills, Ontario IBU 17

Malts: Pale ale, Vienna, CaraRed, acidulated (all organic)
Hops: Organic magnum
Yeast: German ale
Other: Local spring water, organic beet powder, organic spruce tips, organic juniper berries, organic hibiscus flowers.

ST. LUKE’S VERSE ~ BEAU’S

St. Luke’s Verse is a GRUIT, a beer made with out hops.  Gruit (or grut or gruyt) are a herb mixture used to add bitterness or flavour to beer before the widespread use of hops, or when hops were prohibitively priced.  Lavender, thyme and rosemary were used in this brew.  St. Luke’s Verse is what young would women would recite to see their true loves revealed in their dreams.  Not for everyone but I really enjoyed this.  The label is beautiful too!

5.7% from Vankleek Hill, Ontario
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