Well, we got through the worst day of the week and for most of us this is a 4 day week! Last week I had an unexpected brewery visit when I went to dinner at Cask & Larder in Winter Park, FL. I thought I was going out to a fancy restaurant but it turned out to have its own brewery in it. Like most things in this area it specialized in local and fresh ingredients. As far as a brewery goes, it seemed to be more of an afterthought, tacked onto the restaurant instead of something meant to stand out. The waitress never even told me that they brewed their own beer, and I noticed the setup walking to the restroom. Overall it was a nice place for dinner but a bit too high brow for this good ol’ boy to grab a beer at after a day at work.
I tried two beers, one being the Olde Southern Wit, which was a very solid, very drinakble witbier. It had a much more pronounced malty flavor and a pleasantly heavier mouthfeel that I expected. It would hit the spot after a long day outside or with a good meal. The aroma was like a fresh cut orange, very crisp and citrusy. However it lacked a solid head, and we know everyone loves a good head (phrasing?).
The second beer I tried was billed as a “wheat stout” so I guess they invented a new style. I was intrigued and was hoping for either dark, heavy, chocolatey, minty goodness or a light almost mint julep type of beer. It looks the the brewmaster tried to make it do both and quite frankly it fell flat on its face. It came out a beautiful dark brown and smelled just like the Thin Mint cookies you buy but these are the only two good qualities I could find. Side note, you can’t ever have just 1 sleeve of Girl Scout cookies. Like seriously, have you guys tried them before? This is why America is obese and I’m damn proud of it. ‘Mericuh.
Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, the beer…
Like I was saying, the beer had such little carbonation I thought it may have been flat. If you closed your eyes and took a sip, it could pass for mint flavored water. There was just no substance or feel to it. Coming in at 6% I felt it was a little weak for what I am used to from a stout style. The flavors were just overbearing mint which drowned out anything else but a hint of chocolate. Overall, I applaud the effort at even thinking to attempt this beer but it just didn’t pan out.
Well until next week, tight lines and bottoms up!
Tight Lines & Beers 