The fourth beer available for our DnU Night Out at The Cortland in Bay Shore, NY, is available on tap or in growlers, but not in bottles or cans. It’s Havre Rouge by the friendly folks at Greenport Harbor, and it’s an interesting beer. Based around a specific strain of Belgian yeast, Havre Rouge has a lambic-like quality to it, being very floral and fruity, without actually having fruit added to the wort.

The beer is reddish, rich and flavorful, with a bitterness that’s up front and doesn’t linger. It has a characteristic flavor that is hard to describe, with Melba describing it as burnt sugar, whereas I thought it tasted a lot like pretzels. Both Mrs. Ferment and Melba gave it high marks. I’m a bit more reserved in my judgement. It’s certainly enjoyable, but unusual. Greenport Harbor describes it as an “amber Belgian/American pale ale,” which certainly straddles a couple of beer categories.

Harve rouge means red harbor, and I give a lot of credit to Greenport Harbor for their excellent branding. It may not seem like much to civilians, but those of us who survived a tour in the advertising field get a kick out of that type of thing.

Harve Rouge is a seasonal. If past seasonals from Greenport Harbor are any guide, it will probably be available at Whole Foods to take home in growlers. It’s also available now at The Cortland and will be offered for $4 a pint on March 10, 2011, for DnU Night Out. That’s next week!