Wild Ale – The Barley Whine

Avery Fortuna: Barrel Aged Series #28

September 15, 2015 by Steve Leave a Comment

Avery Fortuna: Barrel Aged Series #28

Tequila, distilled from the blue agave plant native to Mexico, heralds south of the border adventure and indulgence like no other spirit. Consumption is popularized as the rapid shooting of pours, rather than by snifter. And while bourbon or single malts are consumed straight by connoisseurs, tequila is so tied with shots that even less sophisticated tequila drinkers tend to pound shots, chased with a lime and salt. Despite the availability of opulent brands that age for years on wood, rounding out flavors like bourbon, the drink is not always associated with high end production. But some do recognize the potential for the better bottles. Writing in Paste, Nathan Borchelt points out that Quentin Tarantino gives visual adulation to Tres Generaciones Anejo, “which Bill drinks before that last East-meets-West sword fight”.

KIll Bill Tequila

This is a girding drink, one to firm up resolve before a fight. Tequila is a rough drink, best slammed down, or sipped straight up. But all this would ignore that other use for blue agave nectar, the margarita. And this apparently, was the inspiration for a new Avery sour in their limited Barrel Series.

THE BEER

The 28th release in Avery’s much heralded ‘Barrel Series’ brings a new twist (puns!) to their limited release beers in the gold foil. Avery, known for their great wheat ale White Rascal as well as one of the best barrel programs in the country, regularly hosts very popular GABF week events featuring their limited release brews. For the twenty eighth small batch release, Avery attempted something highly creative, in utilizing tequila barrels and adding the lime and salt flavors of a margarita. Admittedly, had this not been an Avery beer, the expectations for such an experiment would be quite low. But with such a great reputation wrapped up on that shiny foil, we decided to give the somewhat expensive 12oz bottle a try. The barrels come from Suerte Tequila, also based in Colorado.

TASTING NOTES

Opening this bottle I thought; ‘What does tequila smell like’? It is a distinctive agave aroma that is never quite as pungent as, say bourbon was my best recollection. Aristotle suggested that humans primarily recall smells that are pleasurable or painful, so those who have had a rough morning caused by tequila might get a better sense of the tequila barrels in play here. For me, the barrel note was a subtle oak with what could be tequila, certainly lime. The carbonation produced a fine head that faded soon after. The taste on Avery Fortuna was the real surprise. Not nearly as funky as many of their sours, a distinctive lacto sour note was present, along with a tart semi-sweet element that was very complex. I am guessing this was from the Suerte barrel. This was followed up with some lime and perhaps a hint of salt. Not as salinated as gose, the salt here was just enough to make you thirsty for another ponderous sip of this unique beer. The more I sampled, the more this margarita variant drew me in. The carbonation stays potent, and the dry finish with that hint of wood aging is simply a delicious combination.

CONCLUSION

Brewers more and more and hard pressed to come up with new ideas for recipes that will make their beer stand out. Even less common is a completely new (as far as I know) idea for a beer that actually stands out beyond the novelty. Based around the idea for a summertime Mexican restaurant staple, Avery Fortuna is a refreshingly mild sour beer with subtle tequila and salt notes, that come together to form a tasty brew. It defies the odds and makes people what would make tequila their last choice at the bar appreciate the flavors it brings to a sour, citrus forward brew. If you find one on the shelves or they bring a keg to your town, jump on the chance to try this crazy combination.

7.0/10

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Boulevard Brewing Love Child No. 3

June 3, 2013 by Steve Leave a Comment

BOULEVARD BREWING LOVE CHILD No. 3 REVIEW

WHAT IS A WILD ALE?

Sour beer, as a broad category, is one of the most helpfully descriptive of all beers terms. Brewed with the introduction of wild yeasts such as brettanomyces and lactobacillius, sour beers are a complex bunch. Bringing funky, sour, even tart notes to the usual malt/hop flavor profile, the umbrella term ‘sours’ encompasses traditional Belgian lambics such as kreik, gueuze, and others including Flanders red and those that are, while equally sour, defy taxonomy. In essence, a sour beer is just that, sour.

Adding to the tartness, wild ales can pair subtle yeast esters, barrel infused oak, or the sweet/tart complexity of fruit. Simple pairings with the right yeast can make magical concoctions. On the other hand, a simplicity of flavors does not mean easy. Many talented brewers who attempt this style fail dramatically. Flavors of acetone, stomach acid, or backed up garbage disposals come to mind when things go awry with sour beers. For this reason, the best sour beers are prized like fine wine; because they are at least as tough to produce.

TASTING NOTES

Packaging description: Oak barrels were used to age the majority of beer used for Love Child No. 3—with beer aged from 16 months to nearly six years. Another portion of the beer spent 11 months in stainless tanks, souring on Lactobacillus. While very tart, the sourness is short-lived and the beer finishes dry with a trace of oak.

Popping the cork on Boulevard Brewing Love Child No. 3, the audible pop signals this will be a well carbonated brew, surprising from a blend or barrel aged beers. Often, sitting in barrels for so long will render a beer flat. Already, this is a good sign. The rusty orange liquid gives up a small, pink head. The nose is a bit funky, with oak, wine, and whiskey. Taste starts our sour, which fades to fruity notes, tannic, and a dry, vanilla hinting oak finish. Sour notes remind me a bit of Russian River sours. Very light in body, super bubbly, and refreshing.

CONCLUSION

As we have noted, sour beers are a tough style to brew, and the ones that miss, are disasters. Boulevard Brewing Love Child No. 3 thankfully is not one of those. Less tart than some wild ales, No. 3 brings tart up front, but balances out with the bourbon barrels, creating a surprisingly light, but pleasing sour beer. Although less layered in flavor notes than some Belgian or California offerings, Boulevard shows that Missouri, too, has mastered the dark art of the wild ale. Seek out this beer where you can find.

9.0/10

Avery Odio Equum

January 7, 2013 by Steve Leave a Comment

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AVERY ODIO EQUUM

Our first taste of a limited release barrel-aging sour program from Boulder Colorado’s Avery Brewing.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOUR?

Avery, known to me for their amazing double IPA the Maharajah and their bourbon barrel-aged Uncle Jacob’s Stout, apparently has a huge lineup. Their limited barrel-aged series sours do not make our market so I had no idea they even attempted sour beers. Having had some really unpleasant experiences at a brewer who has been experimenting with sours with sub-optimal results. But Avery rarely disappoints, and at batch 13, like MTV releasing Buckwild, here comes another proven winner, releasing yet another take on craft beer.

Commercial description: Such a strong and ugly word, but unfortunately true. Our vintner friend just doesn’t appreciate the depth and character of the aromas and flavors that Brettanomyces creates like we do. Like you do. But the dude has some seriously fine Cabernet Sauvignon barrels that he shared with us to help create this wondrous sour ale. Our lucky #13 in this series. Aged for 12 months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.

TASTING NOTES

Pours a cloudy, ruddy orange with minimal tan head that dissipates quickly. Nose brings oak, huge lactic acid, raspberries, some funkynesss, and wine. Sparkling carbonation. Taste is quite sour, tart with raspberries, with potent acid, covered mostly with the fruit and funk. Not nearly as funky as the nose would indicate though. Like the bitterness of an IPA, sours will build up their primary flavor with each sip. The Avery Barrel-aged Series #13 Odio Equum however, has enough sweetness to minimize this effect, making the drinkability quite high. Finish is tart and dry. Overall, the complexity is a bit less than expected, but this is a delicious beer.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first taste I’ve had of Avery’s barrel-aged series, and it has me excited to drink more of the Odio Equum and whatever comes next. The sour or wild ale is a style that can go wrong in a number of ways, and Avery has passed the hurdle of not making a drain pour. While not quite on par with Belgian lambics, or Russian River, Avery Odio Equum far exceeded expectations. Barrel aged #13 is truly a delicious beer that uses raspberries and the cabernet barrels to balance the sour notes. Seek out this delicious experiment from Avery.

7.5/10

De Proefbrouwerij Flanders Fred Collaborative Ale

December 2, 2012 by Steve 1 Comment

DE PROEFBROUWERIJ FLANDERS FRED REVIEW

Who is Alan Sprints?

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company out of Portland Oregon makes some of the Pacific Northwest’s most delicious beers. Head brewer Alan Sprints brewed up one of those big beers, a massively flavorful American barleywine (they call it a golden strong ale) named Fred, and blended it with the guys at De Proef, who brought a number of Flanders based lambics to the mix. The result is known as De Proefbrouwerij Flanders Fred, the 6th in the ‘Brewmasters Collaboration Series’ from De Proef.

TASTING NOTES

Orange with a white, frothy top, Flanders Fred smells a bit malty and of apples. The tastes are multifold; very fruity, with sour apple dominating, balanced by a nice sweet finish. At first blush this tastes like it is going to overwhelm you with sourness, but the finish makes the overall flavors only gently sour, allowing all the fruit and Belgian yeast notes and some barnyard to come through. The hops are noticeable, but only as a bit player. The carbonation is just brisk enough to deal with the significant body. Finish is tart and sweet, with the green apple lingering on my tongue. A delight to drink.

CONCLUSION

De Proefbrouwerij Flanders Fred is a delicious beer that even the sour beer novice will love. Collaboration beers rarely work for me. In this case however, the best elements of sour, fruity Flanders lambics, blended with an intensely flavorful barleywine, make something even better than the sum of its parts. Both brewmasters distinctive styles are clearly on display in this refreshing, exquisite brew. As the sixth in De Proef’s ‘Brewmaster’s Collaboration Series’, having previously paired up with brewmasters at Lost Abbey, Allagash, and Terrapin, I can’t help but feel I’ve missed some other amazing projects. I am such a fan of this beer I plan to seek out next years Collaberation Series beer, as well as anything else Dirk Naudts at De Proef is bottling. You should too.

9.0/10