Beer of the Weekend #1,143: Saftig

The beer of the weekend last weekend was Saftig, brewed by the Pulpit Rock Brewing Company of Decorah, Iowa.

Serving type: 16-ounce can. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a nonic pint glass. The color was a very hazy wheat color; it would probably be considered deep gold or pale amber. An insanely thick, meringue-like, buttery, bubble-spotted head settled very slowly. It looked like the cream top on a milkshake or the foam on a cappuccino.

Smell: Fruity, citrusy, and juicy. Not quite tropical, though. Grapefruit, orange, caramel, earthy hops, lemon. It was slightly arboreal. It was an enticing mélange.

Taste: Creamy goodness. More orange than grapefruit. It was like an orange creamsicle. Caramel and arboreal and earthy hops. Smooth and delicious. It was a touch green but not off-putting. It tingles the taste buds.

Fun facts about Saftig:

• Style: Pulpit Rock says it is a New England IPA.

• Price: $14.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans at John’s Grocery.

• Alcohol content: 6.1 percent ABV.

• IBU: 45.

• Saftig is much cheaper than the other Pulpit Rock beers at John’s, which made me leery of buying it. How long has that stuff been around? I wondered. Eager to try it, I asked the beer guy. He assured me it was pretty fresh and that Saftig is always cheaper than Pulpit Rock’s other beers, likely because the ingredients are cheaper.

• I vaguely remember “saftig” being a German word but could not remember the meaning. According to a web search, one of the translations is “juicy,” which is very fitting.

The Quiet Man’s grade: A.