Friday saw the release of Half Acre‘s collective hat tip to America’s most sexually articulate rock duo, Ween. They had been hyping this collaboration with Short’s Brewing since Ween came to town back at the end of June.
Right from the nose you know this is a Half Acre effort. Aside from the noticeable addition of guava there is the recognizable Half Acre musk that anyone who has enjoyed a Daisy Cutter will notice. It’s almost moss-like. I suppose some might find that description less than appealing, but I’m running into a block trying to find a more appropriate way to explain what strikes me as a moist, earthy, almost fecund smelling aroma that Half Acre has mastered. There’s some slight evergreen and citrus, but really I fall back onto those terms out of social habit and not out of an honest response to what I smell. And the guava tends to occupy those scents with this brew leaving the earth tones of the beer to really stand up.
But, sticking my nose in the beer is not the part of this past time that keeps me coming back for more, I happen to actually fancy the drinking of the stuff. And drinking Freedom of ’78 is pretty enjoyable. Again, a lot of similar notes to the Daisy Cutter – that delicious Half Acre biscuit is there for sure, does that come from their yeast or from Victory malts (or both)? Then follows an expertly balanced hop bitterness with less flavor than the DC, and then the guava coming on the back side of the flavor with plenty of personality, but not overly sweet. Where a fruit beer like Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche is just too much for me to enjoy more than one, the Freedom of ’78 kept me company during the 12 hour smoke of our brisket as well as accompanying the ceremonial consumption of said beast.
On a side note: I was drinking Freedom of ’78 from a growler yesterday and I must say it was a bit better than the bomber I’m sipping on now, but I suppose that shouldn’t be a huge surprise. The guava flavor was a bit more pronounced and the slight alcohol flavors weren’t as prevalent as they seem to be in the bottled version. Also, the head retention and body was a bit better from the tap, but, again, that’s nothing that should be terribly surprising. I guess the moral of the story is buy it in a growler while you can and stock up on bombers for when you can’t.
Once again, my hats off to Half Acre, they continue to bring unique and interesting one off batches of beer to Chicago in addition to the stables of their portfolio all the while hoisting that delicious freak flag for tasteful degenerates like Ween. If I had a cult I’d give serious consideration to using this beer as my kool-aid.
God speed.