Gruit

Gruits have been pretty hit or miss for me but I really enjoyed the Fraoch when I first had it about a year ago. I remember the beer being light, herbal and a little fruity. When I saw this bottle of 20th Anniversary Fraoch that's been aged in Sherry and Speyside barrels I thought it sounded amazing partly because the regular Fraoch wouldn't hold up to barrel aging very well because it's such a light ale... It seems they've gotten around this by brewing a "triple version" of Fraoch before adding it to the barrels. If the original was good, the triple version should be three times a great then, right?

Gruits are a style of beer I tend to stay away from. I enjoy regular ales and lagers that are brewed with herbs and spices but I've never found a Gruit that really struck me as a quality. I mean that in the since that if I were going to fridge to grab a beer to relax with and I saw a bottle of Gruit and any other beer next to it, I'd probably not reach for the Gruit... I'm still eager to try interesting Gruits though because sooner or later I'll find one that I really like. Today I've opened a bottle of Fraoch Heather Ale as I continue my search for a Gruit epiphany.

This is my first true Gruit style beer. I've heard a lot about Gruits recently and was excited when I found this bottle on a recent trip. My knowledge of Gruits is pretty limited, I just know that they are not brewed with hops. Instead of using hops to flavor the beer, Gruits are brewed with herbs and spices. This particular Gruit is a version released by Weihenstephaner and is modeled after recipes from the 13th century. The label of this beer indicates that is is part of a Historic Signature Series and was brewed by Dr. Fritz Briem in Munich. The historical significance of Gruits isn't lost on me, but there's a good reason beers aren't brewed with ginger and bay leaves anymore... so I'm cautiously optimistic.