Great Lakes Brewing Company Grassroots Ale
Grass Roots Ale is here! That’s right, my favorite brewing company in the whole world (nestled in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio) has released their most recent seasonal ale. This Belgian Saison style ale is brewed with herbs and chamomile and amazingness amongst other ingredients…
This ale pours a murky corn color, with what appears to be many of it’s ingredients floating thickly in a very stagnant manner. I can tell right away that there are going to be a lot of flavors incorporated with this most recent release. Saison style ales aren’t necessarily my forte, but I’m looking forward to delving a bit deeper into this style as the hot weather approached.
Floral scents are the first things noticeable as I shove my nose down into the glass, and lemon peel follows up that initial scent. Linen, basil, orange rind, honey and maple syrup smells linger in this beer and make me thirsty just gathering the aromas..Let’s dive in!
This is definitely a summer beer! The honeycomb and lemon peel hit my taste buds up front, and the initial thought in my head is that the beer is lighter than I actually would’ve expected. Fresh cut grass, rose petals, chamomile, basil and sweet tea play their respective roles in developing the refreshing taste of this ale.
Although I tend to be a little biased when it comes to Great Lakes Brewing Company, I can say with a straight face that this is another solid offering from Cleveland’s own. This would be paired well with a light salad or appetizer, while relaxing near the pool…Just don’t get in too quickly after!
What does everyone think? Is this beer up your alley? Would you prefer it was heavier in the mouthfeel, or perhaps you don’t even like it at all? Share your thoughts through a comment…let’s get talking about beers and enjoying hoppy thoughts!
Grade: B+
Explore posts in the same categories: Great Lakes Brewing Company, Saison Style AleTags: Ale, beer, Grassroots, Great Lakes Brewing, Hoppy thoughts, Saison
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
May 21, 2009 at 2:40 am
While I haven’t had this beer yet, can you relate it to another beer? Is this like the typical summer beer that you might have? Since it has such the orange rind smell, have you tried it with an orange in the beer, ala Blue Moon? Do you think that this would work, or does the beerhold its own?
May 25, 2009 at 3:33 am
Hey Lilmac, this beer had such a different feel due to the large amounts of summer spices that were incorporated into the beer. I feel like with most wheat beers there is that overall heavy feeling of orange, but this beer had so many spices from the spice rack, that it was such an interesting find. I didn’t throw an orange in it, I may have actually preferred a lemon! Thanks for the comment!