Siletz Spruce Ale

Brewed by Siletz Brewing and Public House
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Siletz, Oregon USA

I live about 23 miles from this Brewery in Oregon. I have visited there to see the Brewery. This type of brew, with the spruce tips added is becoming a fad out in Oregon and I am unsure if that trend is elsewhere. Adding the spruce tips gives this brew somewhat of a very bright flavor that is very fruity and dare I say it... minty. This is certainly a "Strange Brew" that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you see it...try it and you will be suprised and impressed.

I've had most of the other Siletz beers and have been very impressed. This one was next. Normally I hate flavored beers, but this is different. This pours a serious head which lasts quite a while. This is the first time I've had a beer overflow in a long time. The beer is a transluecent copper color. The foam leaves a nice lace all the way down the glass. The smell is the first obvious sign of the spruce pine. It covers any other scents this beer might have, but it's not overwhelming like an air freshener by any stretch. This beer smells good on its own. Taste: Virtually no hop presence at all. There's not much of a malt taste, either. Pine surpases any other flavors, but *man* is a good taste. As I said earlier, I hate flavored beers, but this tastes like the beer was designed around the flavor as opposed to the flavor covering up what's actually there. Mouthfeel is good, as is drinkability. Both are rather deliteful.

Cloudy,ruby-red,with decent milky head.Slower carbonation shows some thickness lies ahead.Aromas are piney,and the spruce gives off some fruity aromas and flavors.Too cold.Got better as it warmed.Caramel,nutty,juicy malt,aromas become noticeable.Flavor more defined than aroma.Sweet,juicy,earthy flavors are followed with a great fruity,piney and sappy finish.Hops are noticable.As it warms big caramely,sappy flavors are followed with more nutty finish.Loses thickness but flavors stick around.I really enjoyed it.

Not usually lover of "odd" falvoured beers but had cash so thought i would give this a go!. Poured it into a glass/the appearance was ever so slightly murky..but still a translucent brown..nice head to start it faded after a few minutes but clung tenaciouslly to the glass for the duration. Smell was very fruity only a slight scent of spruce ( or pine) it smelt most of blackberry to me for some odd reason. This beer fells great on the tongue..a burst of lovely flavor struck me first and had me hooked.It tasted quite "dry" and the spruce can definatlly be tatsed...it says on the label that this beer has very few hops just for bittering all the flavor is from the spruce tips. Overall a very drinkable beer one which i would take go great with spring or fall camping round a nice big crackling campfire.

Medium brown color, medium head. Piney aroma. A beer made from barley malts, hops and a lot of new-growth Sitka Spruce tips. Full bodied beer. Malty and mild. Not very hoppy, there is a slight ‘fruity’ taste from the spruce tips. Full flavor, smooth taste. Good balance. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, somewhat fruity. Nice beer.

Very intresting beer that I tried on draught at the Newport Craft Brewers Fest, held at Rogue Brewers on the Bay, in Newport, OR. What makes this beer very interesting, is the fact it is brewed with spruce tips to bitter this beer, and just a small amount of hops. Pours to a hazy amber color, with a tight white head that fades, and a moderate carbonation. The nose on this beer is very interesting. Lots of "piney" spruce aroma, paired with some hop aroma, and touches of caramel malt aroma. You really smell spruce in this beer, and it is wonderful. The palate is firm, with good pale and sweet malt flavors. This beer finishes with more malt flavor up front, then ends slightly sweet, with flavors of spruce, and some hop bitterness that lingers. Excellent showcase of spruce. It does not dominate, but you clearly smell and taste it in this beer, making it very unique and enjoyable.

Call me crazy. I really enjoyed this. Reminds me a gruit ale, but sweeter. The male gives some caramel and biscuit notes. I would interested to taste a version of this designed to be even lighter, more bitter, more piney, brighter. Makes me want to brew a spruce ale. Mm. Fluffy carbonation and a huge lasting head.

Oh what a fine display of a densely frothed cream top. This foam ain’t going anywhere. I am getting whiffs of berry. This isn’t what I recall Spruce resembling, but it is quite nice. Other hints of cinnamon, crystal malt, grape nerds, hop coarseness, and some wood. Surprisingly soft, light body, yet very creamy. Very delicate. Flavors aren’t nearly as assertive as I would have liked to have seen. But what the heck, I can’t complain. Pine flavors are followed by caramel, nuts, and wood-like firmness/dryness. I also would like more character with the base. It is nothing about which to boast; it is just a simple, toastier, fuller bodied Amber. Phenolic notes and watery palate also greatly belittle this beer’s potential. This beer is great testament as to why I am a sucker for Spruce tips.