christmas

Second to last and not as dark as my desires, but expecting to guide the tastes of others can be a mistake.  It might even be a … Rookie Mistake.  I’m not sure if Guineu is quietly admitting they meant to make something else, or warning off people who don’t quite know what to make of a Special Bitter.

It has the dark caramel color of stronger, toastier beers. There’s a certain Christmas spice in the aroma, a little ginger maybe and something like clove. But will it be spicy or bitter? Turns out neither, really. It’s unsweet apple mostly, but not quite enough to be astonishingly bitter. The potential spices are a bust in the taste. Too bad, could have been sort of an apple pie beer. It has some roughness, a little throat-grabby, and I get a mild aftertaste that is more bitter than the beer itself. So, although surprisingly subdued, it does make you pay some attention when you drink.