Elderflowers | Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore)

Rating: 3.85/5

Lips of Faith series Gruit by New Belgium is a 6.66% ABV Scottish Gruit/Ancient Herbed Ale brewed with Bog Myrtle, Horehound, Yarrow, wormwood and Elderflowers added.

Label:
Experimentation doesn’t mean new. With our Gruit, the latest Lips of Faith release, it’s all about revisiting the ancient craft of bittering with herb mixtures, not hops. In here horehound, bog myrtle, yarrow, wormwood and elderflowers get together with rich malts to create a bitter, dry, velvet-like sweetness worth revering.
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The one Lips of Faith series I had missed this year, now we have it here for the review. Lips of faith series ranges from delicious to very good. There hasn’t been one from this series I truly hated except maybe Pluot, but I can’t really as maybe it was a bad bottle or my taste buds were not feeling it. This style is something I have never tried and it is interesting to see this as they use ancient bittering techniques of using flowers and herbs instead of hops. Really intriguing I should say. Let’s get this one going and see how it plays out.

Aromas:
Lots of herbs, honey, biscuit bread, vanilla, green tea, yerbabuena/peppermint, peppercorns, berries, apples, clove spice, banana hints, lemon peel, citrus, grassy and grapefuit hops, chamomile, hibiscus, lavender and barnyard hay.

Flavors:
Flowers, coriander spice, yerbabuena/peppermint, peppercorns, biscuit bread, chamomile, hibiscus, lavender, bananas, clove spice, phenolic notes, herbal tea, green tea, vanilla, honey, citrus, grassy and grapefruit hops, barnyard hay, lemon peel, oak hints, Golden ale notes, apples and mild berry notes.

Aftertaste:
Peppercorn, flowers, spices, honey, peppermint, herbs, green tea and grassy hop notes. No alcohol in the taste, crisp and refreshing, easy to moderate drinkability, watery yet smooth mouthfeel and clear yellow body.

Overall:
While this beer was very good, I couldn’t help but notice how close this beer is to a Belgian Golden Ale but more herbed. I think the herbs really worked to bitter out some of the beer flavors but maybe it was a little too herbed for my taste. A very good beer but for some reason the herbs were a bit much but it was great to try this one for sure. I’d say give it a try even if once.

Anime Corner:
Yasaka Kanako from the Touhou Project series was used in this pairing to show the power of herbs. In ancient times, they were used as magic to heal the sick and even to this day, natural remedies are used to do miracles. Something about the plants have the power to bring life and make people better. As seen in this art pairing I really wanted to make a point to state that about the herbal sweetness of this beer.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1371952

Rating: 4.45/5

Sprung by Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texas is a 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale Hancrafted with heather tips, dried Elderflowers and Wild Flower honey.

Label:
Spring has “Sprung” in South Central Texas many years before the official change on the calendar. Often times it is a very short season but welcomed nonetheless. Some of the most beautiful landscape in our great nation is during Spring in Texas when all the wild flowers are in bloom. In honor if this time of year, we brewed Sprung with heather tips, dried elderflowers and wildflower honey keeping a balance of natural floral flavors in mind. We hope you enjoy it while the season is here…Cheers!
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Another Five Stones has made it to the site thanks to the donation of Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com. This beer is an IPA brewed with Elderflowers and Wildflower honey so I really think it is a best representative for the season. Well, while we are no longer in Spring and IPAs usually tend to give more of a malty flavor with age, I think the bitterness of the flowers may help here. We will have to see for sure, but so far, everything I have tried from Five Stones of Cibolo Texas has been, Amazing!

Aromas:
Very floral, citrus, grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, pineapple, stone fruit apricot hints, caramel, biscuit bread, toffee hints, hibiscus, flowery spices, herbs, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, rye, hazelnut hints and dragon fruit.

Flavors:
Citrus, floral, piney and grassy hops, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander, pineapple, peppercorns, sage, basil, honey, hazelnut hints, mild rye, honeydew melon, mild guava, kiwi, dragon fruit hints, herbs, hibiscus flowers, lavender and cantaloupe.

Aftertaste:
Citrus, honey, flowers, biscuit bread and piney hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, medium honey body, easy to medium drinkability, creamy mouthfeel, crisp and refreshing.

Overall:
Very good IPA focusing more on the floral and mild stone fruit component than the super hoppy aspects of the beer. While the taste is more malty, it was just as I thought, some of the flowers, spices and tropical hints were more pronounced than hops of other beers. While I cannot say how this beer would have been while it was fresh, at this point in time, it still taste very good and has maintained itself. So if you had tried this one when it was fresh, you won’t be disappointed now. Unless you are a true hop only hop head then I cannot speak for you as I have not tried this fresher. Either way, awesome beer from Five Stones.

Anime Corner:
This original artwork of a bunny girl rocking out was something that seemed to stand out and pair with the label. While I had tried this beer later in the year, the night time rock is what comes to mind when trying a beer that is in the fall vs. the spring. I really think this is the darker side of the bunny and when Spring passes and is Sprung loose it Falls into the night.

Sources:
http://37.media.tumblr.com/38f9e7852c129fb1c9679486958b85df/tumblr_n7desrkGU81qlodbjo1_500.jpg