Pour Decisions The Scythemen Piwo Grodziskie Soecialine (I think).4.0% ABV. Brewed and bottled by Pour Decisions Brewing Company, Roseville, MN. "Innovating Tradition."
And here we have a collector's item, with the recent news of the merger of PDBC with Bent Brewstillery, a distilling concern which had been sharing the facilities of PDBC. The new name of this joint effort will be …Bent Brewstillery. Did Pour Decisions decide that their name was a poor decision? Hmmm, good question. But, let's drink a beer, already.
First off, this was the first time I'd seen a bottle of PDB for sale, and I grabbed the cheapest bomber. I think this one was eight dollars. Others were 12-18, if memory serves correctly. I picked it up at Elevated Wine & Spirits, which I hadn't visited since last May (through no fault of theirs).
Having poured it, I have to say that I have't seen a less attractive glass of beer in my life. It's an utterly odd coloring for a beer, a weird mixture of pale grey and dull orange. Highly hazed, with a short, but staying head that's just a shade short of cream. The color, though, repels, rather than draws in the eye.
Aroma: sour and strange. But not in any enticing way. What am I getting? Wheat. Sausage. Sauerkraut. Dirty socks. Hey, I'm not trying to be mean here, I'm just struggling with this one. There are so many weird notes, it's really hard to get a handle on. Something like a Berliner Weisse, but damned muddy and mucked-up.
Taste: We're goin' in. …Huh. All that notes from aroma comes plopping on the palate. Strange stuff. They put a sausage in some socks, introduced the funkiest yeast they could find, tossed in some old mashed potatoes and mixed it up. Strained it through a dog blanket and here we have it.
Light-ish body, long-lasting tart twang on the tongue. This may please some of the die-hard sour-heads out there, but I'm having a rough go of it. And I wonder if the gobbledygook on the label will clear things up. Let's read it shall we?
"The Scythemen is our ode to a famous Polish infantry unit who charged Russian cannon fire with nothing more than a straightened scythe. This traditional Grodiskie is an eccentric, hoppy smoked Polish ale made entirely with wheat malt. Mouthfilling smoked, spicy, tannic hops, rich bready wheat, Light and refreshing, yet fully flavorful. A proper drinker for the bravest among us…scythes nor cannons included."
Well, I got a few things right, and in some cases I'm still plain ol' puzzled. I'm not getting the hops at all, although I am picking up on the tannins, just a little bit. And it is refreshing and tart once you get through the sausage and the sauerkraut. Once you get over the terrible look and the odd gumbo of flavors, it's fairly drinkable and partially enjoyable. It's a lot to get over, though.
