Druif – 2018 Vintage

Druif – 2018 Vintage by pFriem Family Brewers is being evaluated as BJCP style 33B (Specialty Wood Aged Beer) with underlying style of Belgian Blond (25A), aged in a Riesling barrel. Pours a hazy gold with a small head of tiny white bubbles that fades quickly. Initial aroma is moderate apricot and slight grainy malt, with a hint of floral hops. The flavor brings out the apricot notes more as well as a wine-like perfumy/floral character from the Riesling. Hops are a light floral, and hop bittering is relatively low, allowing the malt and yeast characters to shine. The finish is wine-like and smooth with hints of lime juice. Moderately high carbonation (but with poor head retention) and medium body. There is a bit of a Belgian character, mostly coming across as dry hay and a hint of black pepper. There’s also a bit of acidity that adds to the complexity of the beer. Because of the apricot notes and the wine grape character, this beer would pair nicely with pork chops and baked apples.