Brewview#84: Glow Worm by Thin Man Brewery

Well, we survived the holidays and I must admit one of the major things I did not enjoy was my time away from 716Brewviews. Though my silence was unfortunate it was truly necessary. My household was rampant with germs and boogers from my little ones, though I escaped unscathed it was still a tiring experience. Kim on the other hand can’t say the same, poor Toots! But we are through all that and I am glad to be back and having a healthy family again. So let’s have a beer and celebrate good health.

Thin Man’s Glow Worm caught my eye the other day after grocery shopping so that is our beer of choice. It’s a beer I haven’t seen until recently and had my first one as a shower beer after having a busy day at work. And simply put, I was very pleased. It’s a very intriguing beer that I am very excited to write about!

Let’s dive in, shall we?

The Beer: Glow Worm by Thin Man Brewery

Style: Fruited Gose

ABV: 4.4% IBU: N/A

I was unable to find anything in depth about the beer, so I am stuck with what is imprinted upon the can. Simply put, a Fruited Gose with blackberry and guava. Sounds like an intriguing combination.

First Impressions

Glow Worms pours an ironically smooth red color with large amounts of energy bubbling up from the bottom. I say ironically smooth because Goses are far from smooth with their salty nature, which is exactly their purpose in life. That smooth red color is quickly corrupted in the best way possible with a very strong salty guava aroma that makes no hesitation in filling the air around it. Once I cracked the can I was instantaneously hit with this pleasant yet salty aroma. Upon the initial pour there was a nice head but that quickly dissipated and was gone for all eternity.

Down the Hatch

Instantly upon the start of my first sip there is a  generalized fruity salt bite that softens up slightly and allows the more specific fruit flavors to kick in. The blackberry flavor seems to kick in the transition from the beginning to mid sip. There is a nice soft blackberry flavor surrounded by a polar opposite salty bite. The blackberry seems to have a mellowing affect on the saltiness from the start of the sip. From this point on there is a nice mellow salty characteristic present throughout the rest of the sip. As I transition from mid sip to the back end and swallow things seems to shift with Glow Worm. The blackberry flavor takes a step back as the guava moves forward. There is a slight roller coaster affect with the saltiness where it drops off but then quickly shoots back up to its previous setting. Specifically speaking there is a rise of saltiness at the swallow then it slowly mellows out into the aftertaste.

The aftertaste itself is predominantly guava flavored over the blackberry, though I am noticing some lingering hints of it. Again I want to state how pleasant of a combination these two are. The saltiness of the beer really lingers in the aftertaste and possesses an impressionable bite to it. I must say out of the all the sours I’ve enjoyed, Glow Worm has  one of the saltiest aftertastes. Not to mention the thick coating that is left behind possessing a salty sour characteristic.

Concluding Thoughts

Glow Worm was an excellent choice to start off  the new year for 716Brewviews. The interesting combination of guava and blackberry accompanied by a transitioning salt overtone throughout the sip gives Glow Worm a unique stance in the Gose category. Not only is it the flavor but also the 4.4% ABV that makes this as drinkable as possible. Thin Man did well with Glow Worm and I would recommend it to anyone with a taste for Goses or a desire to try one for the first time.

Cheers!