Phillips Brewing Company Stump Coastal Forest Botanical Ale Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 6.2% ABV (C$7.95 at Sundance Wine Market, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 26-Jun-2016, reviewed 30-Jun-2016)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: ginger, resiny evergreen, juniper, citrus. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, light peppery spice. (6/10) Medium body tending to the watery, moderate carbonation, mildly spicy earthy finish. (3/5)
The initial impression is overwhelmingly ginger. Now, I know “ginger” starts with “gin”, but that’s a pretty thin reed upon which to build a comparison to gin. But then, as it warms (or, maybe, as you grow numb to the ginger), something interesting starts to happen: previously-hidden depths start to become exposed, and resin and juniper begin to emerge, followed by a little orange oil. Unfortunately, that’s also right about the time that the body starts to turn watery. I can’t decide whether it’s a case of “too little too late” or “one step forwards and two steps back”, but in either case, it’s not enough to turn this into a winner. It’s not bad, and certainly not without its charms, but that’s about as far as I’d go. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
