Coaster Critique: Mystic Vinland Two

Name: Vinland Two

Brewed By: Mystic Brewery

Style: Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 7.3%

Purchased: The Craft Beer Cellar – Belmont, MA

I picked up this bottle of Mystic Vinland Two on my recent trip to Massachusetts; Vinland Two is part of Mystics native yeast series. The yeast used to ferment this farmhouse ale was cultured from lowbush blueberries that were harvested from Norridgewock, Maine. Vinland Two won a gold medal in the indigenous beer category at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival.

Vinland Two poured a golden straw color, hazy in the glass with a short, pure white had that settled into a wispy ring around the glass.

Smells like a farmhouse ale, light bready malt aroma, yeast comes through with that farmhouse spice but there is a touch of fruit mingling in there as well, not so distinct that I would say blueberry though.

Very interesting flavor in this beer, the farmhouse spiciness that was prominent in the nose is a little more subtle in the flavor. The malt is light, crackery almost but does well to let the yeast shine. I’m very surprised by the blueberry like flavor in this beer, there is no blueberry in it and it doesn’t taste like it has fruit in it, but there is a fruity essence in there and just a hint of a tart flavor reminiscent of the one you’d get from biting into a blueberry.

Overall a very impressive brew, I had a difficult time describing this one, it doesn’t taste like a blueberry ale, but it does have flavor components that come though as blueberry. I’m glad I had the opportunity to check out this beer.  Mystic does not distribute their beers to Maine but if you run across them they are worth checking out.

Cheers!

Chaddah

Chad Lothian

About Chad Lothian

Chad Lothian lives in Old Town, Maine. He is a craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer. Chad has travelled to brewpubs, breweries and brewfests all over New England.