Heavyweight Juhlia

Formerly brewed at Heavyweight Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale
Ocean Township, New Jersey USA

I had to put aside all commonly held perceptions of what constitutes a traditional beer in rating this masterpiece. Similar in style to a gruit ale, Juhlia is flavored not with hops, but with juniper berries, and herbs among other things. It pours cloudy golden with no head, and very little carbonation to speak of. Its not a pretty beer, but it is exceedingly tasty. Flowers, yeast and berries are the foremost flavors, but there are so many others swimming about in there it is difficult to describe accurately. Juhlia’s soft mouthfeel, crisp quenching qualities, and exotic flavor profile make this an excellent candidate for a hot summery day.

tap... floral aroma... juniper, a spiked chamomile tea with a wicked crisp bite. unusual, but great in the qualities that make it different.

On tap at Heavyweight. Cloudy golden color with a small white head. Spicy, yeasty aroma with hints of fruit and something I couldn’t put my finger on until I was told it was juniper. Now I get it. Flavor of bread, with lots of spices baked in. Hint of juniper berries. Drier than expected given all the different flavors going on.

very unique... not quite sure if I like it yet. The juniper came across well, and was not nearly as strong as in gin

On tap at the Lehigh Valley Brew Fest ’04. Poured a hazy yellow color with a small white head. Aromas and tastes of citrus and grains. Some juniper. I enjoyed this one...

Heavyweight 5th anniversary party. Thin frothy head with light carbonation. Strange aroma. Strange fruit, apricots, peaches, boiled chicken? Who knows. Color is a cloudy medium gold. Very malty. Chalky texture. Almost like drinking bread. Slightly sour also. Finish is dry and a bit sour. I think that this beer needs to age a bit. Strange beer.

Tap @ Blind Tiger. Another very interesting creation by Tom. This one tasted like a heather ale I’ve had at Cambridge. I couldn’t tell what the taste was until I was told this was brewed with juniper twigs. Anything to not use hops. The taste is light yet complex. You can drink the whole glass and not be sure if you like it or not. I love the creativity and would like to see this evolve into something.

Rerate- Sampled at the EBF, holding up admirably for such a low abv brew. The juniper really comes through now, mellowed and a slight sour twinge. Completely refreshing, unlike any ale I have tried. Finally getting to my notes on this one. Had it at the HW 5th anniversary (Congrats again!!) Very reminiscent of a gruit ale, herbal. Was definitely an interesting beer. Couldnt put my finger on the taste, but Tom pointed out that bread yeast was used. Would defininitely like to see this one bottled!