Bog Iron Drawing a Blank and Fancy French Name

Life is crazy between work and family stuff, so I don’t make as many trips to breweries as I used to. There are a few exceptions, local places that I can sneak into while I’m running other errands or bring the family to for a meal, and the places I stop in Maine of trips North. Unfortunately there are a number of places in Massachusetts that I still haven’t visited, and even more that I’ve been to but it’s been way too long. One place that lingered on that last list for far too long is Bog Iron Brewing in Norton. I’ve always enjoyed Bog Iron’s beers, and they are hard to find outside of the brewery, but I hadn’t made the trip in a while. Recently I had a rare Saturday late morning/early afternoon to myself, so I took the trip to Norton, sampled a flight and bought a wide selection of bottles to take home. Along with some classics (like Middle Child, one of my all time favorite DIPAs), I grabbed a few new-to-me beers. Drawing a Blank is a new school pale ale with fruity hop flavors that was my favorite beer from the tasting flight. Fancy French Name is a saison aged in French Oak Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces. All of Bog Iron’s beers are now available on draft and in 16 oz. bottles at the brewery.

Bog Iron Drawing a BlankBog Iron Drawing a Blank pours straw yellow with a small white head. The scent is a big burst of hops, tons of citrus and tropical fruit. The hops dominate the flavor, notes of grapefruit, tangerine, papaya and a little pine along with a crisp bitter bite. This is complemented by a mild malt backbone, hints of bread crust and cereal. Drawing a Blank is light bodied and super easy to drink, with moderate alcohol at 6.0% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering hop flavor and bite. I love American pale ales that combine big hop flavor and aroma with smooth drinkability and this beer hits all of those boxes. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.

Bog Iron Fancy Frech NameBog Iron Fancy French Name pours deep yellow with a small white head. The scent is a mixture of white wine and fruity yeast. The yeast leads the flavor with notes of apricot, pear and funk along with just a touch of acidity. The barrel aging melds perfectly with the flavors imparted by the fermentation, hints of white grape, oak and apple. A touch of light malt and a minimal amount of hop flavor round out the profile. Fancy French Name is light bodied, super easy to drink but it packs a solid punch at 7.5% ABV. The finish is dry with some lingering fruit and yeast flavors. This beer is crazy good, complex with big flavors that all work together, you taste something new with each sip. Highly recommended. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.

Previous Bog Iron Reviews:

Bog Iron Devil’s FootprintBog Iron Jump Back, Bog Iron Ryezing Son, Bog Iron Middle ChildBog Iron Stinger IPABog Iron One Down Robust Porter

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