Stillwater Artisanal Ales, recently heralded as a top brewer in the world for 2011 by ratebeer.com, has been crafting Belgian style ales for just over a year from their home in Baltimore, MD. Through clever branding techniques, a creative output and a “gypsy” brewing style, brewer Brian Strumke has created a lot of buzz around his roster of craft beers.

Jaded, volume 3 in Stillwater’s Import Series (brewed in collaboration with De Struise Brouwers in Belgium) is a dark Belgian wheat ale. Upon first glance, this beer has a dark, almost amber color that doesn’t give the impression of a typical wheat beer. The smell gives off a great combination of dark Belgian notes such as malt and dark fruits but retains a hint of yeast and wheat that one might find in a saison.

The taste is something to behold! At the start there is a taste of dark fruits and malt, with a very balanced, nutty flavor. A slightly citrusy finish that made my cheeks pucker lingers shortly after each sip, rounding out the flavor profile. For a dark beer with a relatively strong ABV (10%), this beer was quite refreshing while still providing a unique combination of flavors. If you know someone that normally sticks to wheat beers, this would be a great gateway beer to guide them to darker flavors.

This beer as well as other Stillwater Artisanal Ales pop up around Philadelphia on draft and in bottle. If you search them out, a great beer with a great story will make it well worth the effort. 

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