Siletz Spruce Ale

Brewed by Siletz Brewing and Public House
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Siletz, Oregon USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

A strange beer that reminds me of a tourist trap in a bottle. They suck you in with the spruce tips and then they take your money and don’t offer any refunds... This is the first beer I’ve had with absolutely ZERO head on the pour, nada. It is a very dark semi hazy amber. It smells of sour fruit and pine trees) or are spruces conifers?). Tastes strange, as I could’ve expected. I think this was a copy of a historical brew that early settlers made. I just don’t have a taste for it I guess.

Bottle. Pours a mediocre amber with minimal head and lazy lacing. The aroma has a definite spruce scent, but the tinginess of the spruce is cut-off by a corn-like sweetness. Flavor is mildly floral, with spruce evident in the background. Palate starts fat but narrows into a zesty spike. Overall, not bad; I admit I wanted this because it is brewed with spruce. Interesting. I’d probably have more.

Pours amber/brown with no head. Not really any aroma in this- a faint sourness is all I detect. Flavor is a bit sour, not in a good way. Medium bodied. Wouldn’t try it again.

Very intresting beer that I tried on draught at the Newport Craft Brewers Fest, held at Rogue Brewers on the Bay, in Newport, OR. What makes this beer very interesting, is the fact it is brewed with spruce tips to bitter this beer, and just a small amount of hops. Pours to a hazy amber color, with a tight white head that fades, and a moderate carbonation. The nose on this beer is very interesting. Lots of "piney" spruce aroma, paired with some hop aroma, and touches of caramel malt aroma. You really smell spruce in this beer, and it is wonderful. The palate is firm, with good pale and sweet malt flavors. This beer finishes with more malt flavor up front, then ends slightly sweet, with flavors of spruce, and some hop bitterness that lingers. Excellent showcase of spruce. It does not dominate, but you clearly smell and taste it in this beer, making it very unique and enjoyable.

You know for a style that I am not a huge fan of, and for an ingredient that I feel has no place in brewing, this was actually well done. Partially because it was not over the top, it was integrated well into a list of other ingredients. This had some great hoppiness integrated with the spruce tips. Some nice caramel tofee maltiness. Almost tart and sour in the finish, but very nice, and not overdone.

Call me crazy. I really enjoyed this. Reminds me a gruit ale, but sweeter. The male gives some caramel and biscuit notes. I would interested to taste a version of this designed to be even lighter, more bitter, more piney, brighter. Makes me want to brew a spruce ale. Mm. Fluffy carbonation and a huge lasting head.

Interesting. I get the spruce definitely. Almost gives off a slightly tart flavor. But it is not bad. Kinda tasty. Just strange.

Lightly clouded amber, good head formation. Fruity, minty, bubblegum aroma. Sweet fruity notes on the palate, caramel with touches of blueberries and bubblegum. Fair bitterness, slightly harsh even, in the finish.