CURTIS HENRY
Sports Editor
The usual disclaimers for any readers of this column are still applicable. I am not a food critic, and I am not a professional in the art of the review. I am not a beer expert either, and I
probably should never dabble in the Life & Arts section.
My penultimate writing of this column presented a new and unique taste courtesy of EBC’s P.O.G. Gose. For those of you with little- to-no familiarity with what gose beer is — much like myself until I did some baseline research — context may be important. Gose beers originated in Goslar, Germany in the 16th century. Gose is
typically brewed with strong flavors that are both sour and salty.
Thanks, Google.
P.O.G. Gose falls right in line with that generalized description. However, without any other gose experiences to compare it to, I can say with conviction that this was unlike any beer that has ever acquainted itself with my taste buds.
Prior to my introduction to gose beer, it was my ignorant belief that salt and citrus could
only coexist in harmony when taking shots of tequila. That knowledge, along with many other things learned in my 22 years of existing, was
a farce. Salty and sour is a combination that is unexpected, but it is one that thrives.
Ellicottville Brewing Company had a field day with their description of this beer, dubbing P.O.G. Gose, “A twist on the classic German sour. Light and refreshing with passion fruit, orange, guava and Hawaiian volcanic sea salt.”
Clearly, there is a lot going on here. Perhaps the only thing I can find to truly disapprove of about this beer is that I have absolutely no idea what “P.O.G.” is an acronym for. For all intents and purposes of this column, I am going to dub
“P.O.G.” as standing for, simply, “Pint of Goodness.” That precisely reflects my feelings of this beer.
It isn’t anything that skyrockets to the top of my personal power rankings of the world’s brews, but it is definitely something that is meant to
be enjoyed. It is absolutely the antithesis of any and all IPAs, which made me one happy beer consumer. For all the bad that has spewed out of Germany over the years, they definitely got this one right.
P.O.G. Gose comes in at a cool 5.1 percent alcohol by volume and a rating of 9 on the international bitterness units (IBU) scale; it is EBC’s least bitter brew on tap. It is certainly unique, but its taste isn’t designed to cater to the needs of every individual’s drinking experience. That said, P.O.G. Gose definitely gets filed under the “this is something worth trying” category, and is a great change of pace for anyone looking for something new.
Rating: 4.0/5
Verdict: If you are a soulless neanderthal with an affinity for IPAs, don’t order this. If you enjoy beer that isn’t bitter to the point of wanting to
t, give this a go. Definitely a unique beer
xperience.