It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Dogfish Head
beer. I haven’t met one their brews I
haven’t liked.
So, when I saw Ta Henket in the cooler of my beer store of
course I grabbed it. I was actually
drawn to the intriguing label and then when
I saw what it was I grabbed it.
This beer is one of Dogfish Head’s ancient ales and I must
say I was not only impressed but very much smitten with this interestingly
yummy beer.
According to Dogfish Head the ingredients and traditions for
this recipe were pulled from Egyptian hieroglyphics. In fact, the native Egyptian yeast was acquired
by trapping the strains in petri dishes set out in Cairo .
That’s a lot of effort and I, for one, appreciate it!
Ta Henket pours a rich gold with a thick root-beerish
head. When I took a whiff, my first
impression was a distinctly chili like aroma.
I’m guessing this is the za’atar . . . a middle-eastern spice.
The taste is like no other beer I’ve ever experienced . . .
and it is an experience. It is savory . . . almost meaty . . .
tasting. Again chili pops into my
mind. You may be thinking . . . ew. But this beer is most assuredly not ew! It’s is amazing.
What surprises me “knowing now what I didn’t know then”
about the ingredients is that I didn’t detect any sweetness or fruitiness; I
would expect to get that from the doum fruit (a sort of, kind of date-like
fruit), chamomile and the emmer Farro’ (wheat).
But I didn’t taste anything like that.
This beer was flavorful and smooth with nary a trace of
bitterness. Simply put, Ta Henket is a
very out of the ordinary and remarkable beer.
If you’re looking for something different . . . this is it!
Exceptional!
4 comments:
Glad you enjoyed the beer ... I personally didn't get much sweetness either. To me it was more earthy, bready. Thanks for giving it a try & sharing your thoughts on it - cheers!
This is why beer varies for so many, as everyone has their own preferences and palates. In my opinion, Ta Henket is the worst beer DFH has ever put out and I actually dumped out 2 bottles unable to finish them with several friends at a tasting after we all reached the same conclusion. I respect DFH for being risk takers and innovators, and they are hands down my favorite overall brewery. That being said, this beer was an ancient recipe that simply does not translate to the modern palate.
Doesn't translate to YOUR palate. I liked it. Interesting.
Exactly Cheryl, thats the fun of beer. If you dont like, try the next one. If you love it, keep drinking !
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