Left Hand Juju Ginger

Brewed by Left Hand Brewing Co.
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Longmont, Colorado USA

Pours clear hony gold with a creamy 1-2 finger head that has great retention. Aroma is ginger, dweet malt, caramel, and a little grain. Flavor is sweet malt, cereal grain, a hint of caramel, a dry ginger character and lots of mineral notes toward the finish. Gets a little sweeter and the ginger comes out a little more as it warms, even gets a little warm/spicy. Palate is very light bodied, a little over carbonated and moderately dry throughout. This is a very simple, yet enjoyable beer, I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t like ginger that much though as it really is the main flavor component.

I should have saved it for an appropriate matching, but I was eager to try. It seems deceptively simple, but as your drink it and it warms a bit, the ginger starts to come out and it’s a bit... odd?

1. On Tap at the Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont 08/10/2008 Spice aroma. Small white head. Golden coloured hoppy and spicy ginger flavour with a crisp and dry malt finish. 2. From the Bottle at the GBBF, Earl’s Court 05/08/2009 Some spiced aroma. Golden coloured smooth on the palate and hoppy with a little ginger flavour. A hint of bitterness in a dry finish.

Clear, golden-yellow body with a foamy white head and solid lacing. A strong carbonation consisting of small bubbles keeps the eyes entertained. Aroma is of sweetened malt and soft ginger. Fairly two dimensional, but rather pleasant. Thin body, feels a touch watery. Aftertaste quickly fades. Flavor is more mild than the aroma would let on. Sweet malts countered by a grassy taste. Good ginger balance. Not normally a big fan of ginger in beer, but it’s added at the right amount to be very complimentary.

12oz bottle. Pours a mostly clear amber brown with an off white lacy head. Aroma is candied ginger with a citrus hop. The flavor started with a ginger bite followed by a pale malt flavor. A little thin, but very drinkable.

Pours a light blonde with a nice big head and plenty of little bubbles. Aroma is spicy with ginger and a little hay really a pretty simple aroma dominated by ginger, nothing offensive there. Flavor is a little more odd, plenty of odd malt graininess, a little vegetal (but it is a SHV beer) and some light cereal sweetness, oh yeah and the ginger. There is plenty of spicy ginger flavor here, not quite as much as much ginger character in the flavor as there is in the aroma but it’s there and it’s the most dominant flavor in the beer. I think I like this better than the average rate beer user but I think if it were just a shade drier it would be brilliant.

Cask@GBBF 2009. Orange color, small white head. Aroma of ginger, apple and pumpkin. Flavor has pumpkin, ginger and some bready notes. Tastes like one of those American Halloween pumpkin ales. Light palate.

A hazy but also clear enough to see light on the other side. Head turns to a film quickly. Thick at the edges and more opaque. Heavily fruity smell, with a ginger spice that is sweet, not tart. Some earthy malts, some *soil* notes, but good. Heavily earthy malt, almost muddy. That citrusy, fruity and sweet spice are there. It’s an interesting balance, but not THE tastiest beer I’ve ever had. It’s a nice feel; watery but a tad fizzy. It’s a very earthy drink. Interesting but not the greatest thing ever. Nice enough though.