Beer Review – Griffin Claw – Lou LeLemon

I finally got to Griffin Claw Brewing in Birmingham! I’ve been meaning to go for quite a while. I love beer and food and well, those are things they have, in both quantity and quality. It’s a great place to go when you are a person who wonders“why get a flight when you can get a skateboard full of beer?”.

I was attracted by the idea of a Griffin Claw tripel. We all know how I feel about Dragonmead’s Final Absolution so I wanted to give this one a try. The smell reminds me of a German meadow. Very much a clover and grain scent. There is a great head and very nice lacing with a deep amber, almost red color to it.

I was really surprised by the flavor of this beer. I actually started laughing when I took my first sip. Initially there is a nice bit of hop flavor and then your mouth is flooded by an intense sweetness. I passed the beer around the table to my fellow diners and we all nodded and laughed. It was one of those great “this is a good beer”, moments shared among friends. As one of my companions put it, “Dem trips tho”. Dem trips indeed.

It’s pretty intense just how toothsome and lemony this beer is. It honestly blew my mind a bit. It’s intensely drinkable for 8.5% and honestly something worth checking out. I can’t give it a 10 because it’s a bit too cloying. I had a difficult time finishing the goblet because of the sugar overload. If you like sweet beers, especially with citrus (namely lemon) flavors, this is a must try.