Ummmm....hello?

For the four or so people likely to ever stumble across this anymore, welcome, and happy 2014! I want to make this year a year in which I actually contribute something to the internet, rather than just loafing around looking at pictures of cats and looking down on the commenatariat of various websites. To that end, here's an introduction to my new favorite beer of 2014.

It started like any new beer could relationship start, I was hanging out at a surprisingly deserted Lord Hobo with my friends Tall Aaron and Midwest Tim after a leisurely Sunday afternoon of bike repair. Love, or infatuation in a sneaky guise, had lately dealt me a crappy hand and I was looking for something new and novel to take my mind off of things. New beers are considerably easier to meet than new romances, so I opened the beer list to see what I discover.

After winding past the usual, tasty offerings from Jack's Abby, Stone, Mystic, Port, Blatant and other great US brewers, I came across something so intriguing that I had to try it. Those who know me, know that I am one of "those" beer people that critics of beer culture love to write about. I am an unabashed supporter of trying new or funky flavor combinations and I truly enjoy the taste of beers that are little more than alcoholic hop tea. This one checked all sorts of boxes on my completely subjective requirements list: German, sour, smoked and several unnecessary X's in its name. Based on the description alone, it seemed to have a binary potential, either tasting like the dregs of a brewing experiment gone awry, or the unlikely marriage of two clashing styles into a very new idea. Lucky for me (and hopefully, you), it was the latter. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, Freigeist Abraxxxas.

It is, technically, a smoked Lichtenhainer Weisse, a tart wheat beer style that long ago fell out of fashion in Germany. Practically, it is pure liquid awesome in a glass. This is a beer that, on paper, simply should not work. However, it is a thing of beauty. The nose lets you know that this is a smoked beer, though it does not present as wildly campfire-esque as offerings from Schlenkerla. Rather, it has a nose somewhat similar to Laphroaig 10 year scotch, a peaty and sweet smell with a light funkiness. Given that at least some portion the malt in this is peat-smoked, this is not a coincidence.

Smelling is all well and good, but if we stopped there, we'd just be that creepy guy on the bus sniffing womens' (or mens') hair as they exit. We are, instead, going to be that creepy guy who...ummm....tastes...people?...on the train?.....before abandoning ill-considered metaphors. No, this beer tastes fantastic. The initial taste is light with a straw-like flavor reminiscent of a more sour Saison Dupont. What happens next is the true genius of this beer. Before the sourness completely fades, a pronounced smokiness enters and lingers before finishing off with a lightly smoked, wheaty, roundness that seems impossible given the sour dryness of the initial taste.

I have no idea how this transition occurs, but I can chalk it up to a) expert brewing techniques, b) black magic, c) German engineering, or d) all of the above. Joking aside, though I do suspect black magic,  I have never experienced a beer whose flavor transitions so drastically, but successfully, over the course of one mouthful. People claim to taste all sorts of flavor development in the average beer, which I often think is pure bullshit. Freigeist, on the other hand, have created a truly unique beer that packs many wonderful flavors into a single pour.

Though I left the bar only slightly less frustrated with my life than I went in, I am glad I took the initiative to spend time with my friends and discover this amazing new-to-me beer. I sincerely hope that you will give it a try, should you cross its path.

(Availability notes: this is distributed by Shelton Bros Imports who do Slaapmutske, De Ranke, Cambridge Brewing Co., Mikkeller, and Haandbryggeriet, so most good beer stores should be able to order this for you if you ask nicely)

COMING ATTRACTIONS. The combination of a month off from work, and a rather large birthday party has led me to acquire a rather sizable backlog of beer to try. Stay tuned for (hopefully) reviews of the following:

Image 1 From L-R: Boulevard Imperial Stout, Stone Enjoy By 02-14-2014 IPA, Victory Red Thunder, New Glarus Uff-Da, New Glarus Moon Man. 

Image 2 from L-R: New Glarus Fat Squirrel, Night Shift Taza Chocolate Stout, Night Shift Viva Habenera,  Hill Farmstead/ The Blaugies la Vermontoise. Yes, I really did get bottles of Hill Farmstead all the way down in Boston. Yes, that really is as exciting as you think it is.