Beer of the Weekend #795: Big Grove 3rd Anniversary Plan B

Though it is meteorological fall (and was last Friday, too), summer is still the current season for another week and change so the Summer of the Growler continues for at least this week and next.

For the beer of the weekend, I drove up to Solon and filled my growler with 3rd Anniversary Plan B, brewed by the Big Grove Brewery.


The color is hazy, muddy amber. About a finger of tight, light tan, buttery head leaves a skim and ring around the edge. The aroma features enticing citrus and tropical fruit. It almost smells like a tropical fruit smoothie. It is a nice blend of orange, pineapple, and mango. It may not be “bursting,” but it is still enticing. The mouthfeel is full but soft. It has that Big Grove flavor that must have something to do with the water or yeast — or a lack of polish. (I can’t really describe it. It is like a soft, malty flavor. Kalona brews have something similar.) The flavor is a nice bend that is citrusy, tropical, and bitter up front, but becomes toasty late in the sip. It is almost like brown malt emerges as each sip progresses. It has a floral and arboreal bitterness that lingers on the taste buds.

Fun facts about 3rd Anniversary Plan B:

• Style: Pale ale.

• Price: $14 for a 64-ounce growler fill.

• Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.

• The beer was brewed for Big Grove’s recent third anniversary celebration. Plan A was also on tap when I visited the brewery, but is a 12 percent ABV imperial something (probably IPA). Screw that.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.

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