New Belgium and 3 Floyds Lips of Faith Series Gratzer Ale (Huh?), Alc. 4.5% by Vol. What is this gratzer thing? And what does it have to do with zombies on bikes?
It's a dark one, almost black…wait, who am I kidding, totally black, with a creamy tan, long-lasting head. Beautiful. Inviting.
Aroma: soft and creamy, nutty nose. Hints of cocoa and coffee, too. Ever-so slightly sweet. Love it.
Taste: Climbs on board the palate clean and dry, with a swift finish. Medium-bodied. Lacking the flavors teased at in the aroma. Drinks down easily, but lacks essential delights. I'm left searching for flavors and coming up empty. Nothing is left on the palate to enjoy.
Okay, let's read the side of the bottle for some clues to what I may have missed. "It's not dead, but gratzer is a long-buried style from Poland. Together with Three Floyds we have unearthed it's robust smokiness with oak smoked wheat and midnight wheat, Polish lupulin hops for a bitter bite and lacto for a slightly sour finish, this pours out a billowing foamy mouth worth indulging."
What? We call the head a "mouth" now? Whoever's writing this stuff for New Belgium, man, you and me, we got problems, bubo. Those are terrible sentences!
But, am I wrong? Smoky? Barely. Robust? Hardly. The sour is slight, though, I'll give them that, but the bitterness does not bite. Sometimes poetics, when used gratuitously, betray the brew.
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