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Beer Reviews

Herbal Ale

BluCreek Brewing
Madison, WI
USA
http://www.blucreek.com/

Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable

Jill’s Rating:
   (Drinkable, but flawed)


Comments:
I’m not sure I buy all the health claims attached to ginseng, Gingko Biloba, and Guarana. Supposedly they’re good for your stamina, circulation, and energy levels, but the only stamina I want is being able to drink more. I want the alcohol to circulate through my veins, and I want enough energy to lift my glass to the bartender and ask for another. Do I need special botanicals for that?

At any rate, this beer didn’t really seem to give me much extra, especially on taste. This poured with a huge head and was a thick and cloudy dark caramel color. You can really smell the spices on the nose, but when you taste them, they first just hit the top of your mouth. Subsequent sips spread the flavor throughout the mouth, but it’s not all that great.

If this is supposed to be the energy drink of beers, maybe they have something. I’ve tasted Red Bull exactly once and never needed to sip that swill again. I’m not sure what ginseng, Gingko Biloba, and Guarana taste like on their own, but after a while, this beer reminded me of the taste of Red Bull. The honey couldn’t save it, and I found myself longing for other spices to freshen up the taste of this beer.

Reviewed by Jill Jaracz on April 20, 2009.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

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