Dave's BrewFarm Harbinger

My last beer posted here left me sad and dissatisfied. I spent over ten bucks on a bomber that was a bust, a horrible "hybrid" that left me wondering if that brewery even gets it. I feel hollow inside. Tricked. Snookered. And then I find a bottle waiting for me in the fridge, and I hear the joyful sound of June Foray as Rocket J. Squirrel, cheerfully calling out, "Now here's something we hope you really like!"

And like I do. Commencing now, notes on Harbinger from Dave's BrewFarm:


There I was in the cooler of Dave's BrewFarm, choosing my growlers and I saw a beer for sale that I'd never seen before. "The Harbinger." What's that, I wondered. "Oh, you have to get that," said Dave. And Farmer Dave knows how much I love the Belgian dark ales, and the stronger the better. So, let's crack it opened and see what is store for us….

Bottled 6-7-14. 7.7% ABV.

Utter blackness in the glass, deep and unpenetrable, with a slim, cocoa-toned ring of head above.

Aroma: soft and sweetish, at first, a little bit creamy, now. Hop flavors are mixing beautifully with lush dark malt in this nose. "You put your chocolate in my grapefruit juice!" Not exactly like that, but it paints the picture.

Taste: In the mouth, more of the same. Great big burst of citrus-y hops on the palate is joined in strength by powerful dark malts. "It's a Black IPA!" "Don't you mean a rye dubbel?" "No!!! It's a hoppy…um, Imperial Porter?" "No! It's a Rye-PA Belgian strong dark!"

Full-bodied, and while fully flavored, a smooth delight. Toasty, tasty, delicious. This one's got it all.

Rye malt is growing dominant in the flavor components, rising up and matching the mighty hop presence. Spicy, tingly, terrifically complex. Juicy, bitter cluster {no pun intended, see below} of hops stays right on top, but the mix of Belgian and rye malts, and the Belgian yeast makes the magic in this Harbinger.

What's Farmer Dave's word on this one? "Dark, mysterious, and tasty! A blend of Belgian strain yeasts, Pale, Abbey, Rye and Carafa 1 malts, brown sugar and well-hopped with Columbus, Horizon, Cluster & Azacca hops. Your beer future bodes well."