Pretty Things: Grampus

When I was 16 we used to drive around aimlessly at night listening to college radio stations. Sometimes it was endless droning, sound experiments, lost blues music, or as it happened to be this one particular time, local music. A guitar cut through the silence and immediately I was in love. The song started with some buzz saw guitar solo and led into a talk/sing style verse with a build it up then cut it down chorus, then another killer guitar solo. I waited patiently hoping to find out what band it was. That band was Allston Rock City's own Karate, who'd end up being one of my favorite bands ever. That was the Pandora's Box of my slow and wonderful journey from alternative rock stations to listening to college radio at 3am and having substitute teachers tell me about shows at the Garment District in Central Square. Karate led to Modest Mouse, which led to Q and Not U and my favorite band of all time The Dismemberment Plan. 

So what the fuck does my rambling have to do with any of this? Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project was my Karate of sorts. I'd already been a beer fan, but when Pretty Things Jack D'or started popping up at all my favorite bars, it unleashed a long-standing love of beautiful beers, and especially locally produced brews. 

Jack D'or was the gateway, and I'm glad Pretty Things is still pushing the beer world with delicious and unexpected beverages. Grampus is just that, a Belgian style golden ale made with double mashing grain with the original wort, making for a much denser, sweeter beer that drinks a bit more like mead that traditional ales. The hops are nice, light and add a good crispness to help prevent it from being a massive sweet bomb, and while it straddles the line, it doesn't get pushed over the edge. It's really a beer that needs to be enjoyed with friends due to it's high booze content, 10.5%, and loaded with sweetness that makes for better drinking in small quantity. Now, if I could lobby Pretty Things to move to 12oz bottles I would love it, but that's an entire blog to itself. For now, I'll just enjoy the next Pretty Things beer that comes out of my fridge.