The question was: what should we serve with a cassoulet of white beans that were stinking with juniper and rosemary and had baby rib lamb chops instead of duck legs sticking out above the surface of its crunchy bread crumb and parmagiano crust? The answer was Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale.
It pours coppery orange with a modest lacy head. Velvety on the mouth, richly spicy and citrusy with layers of malt and yeast flavors, this had a quartet of diners giggling with glee. (I should add that these are folks who don't usually giggle.) The restrained carbonation and lightly tart finish made this a perfect beer for the dense, herbal meaty cassoulet. A lot of very different beers are called Farmhouse Ale, but this is an example so scrumptious that it could set the standard.
