Sierra Nevada and Russian River - BRUX

BRUX is, as Russian River says: "...our collaboration with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company! This 2 year, 2 brewery, 2 family project is about to hit the streets and hopefully make it to a bottle shop near you! Set for National Release in July (I bet you thought you would never hear me say something like that!), BRUX was brewed in Chico (at Sierra Nevada) and will go through their distribution channels, which will, of course, greatly increase your chances of getting a couple of bottles. BRUX is a "domesticated wild ale", or an ale fermented with Belgian yeast, finished by a secondary bottle fermentation with Brettanomyces bruxellensis. It's a little more than 8% alcohol, very dry, earthy, spicy, and tasty."

So that's that! Not much 'splaining left for me to do here, I don't think...

Appearance: The photo makes it look much more red than it actually is, which in person is a hazy medium amber color. The head pours to about 1.5 fingers worth in height and eventually recedes to nothing -- no lacing, no foam layer, nada.

Smell: Predominantly Belgian spice from the yeast, including clove and allspice, with a definite funky overtone from the Brett fermentation. It contributes a bit of leather and rubber tire (here, again, is where I laugh at the seemingly unflattering ways to describe Brett character despite it not being off-putting at all.) There is also a sharp note, like vinegar, or acidic fruit.

Taste: This falls in the tradition of the Brett-ed saisons, like those from The Bruery: Saison Rue and Saison de Lenthe. It's earthy and spicy, with notes of peppercorn, citrus zest, and clove, then the funk comes in with sourdough and sour apple. The funk is there, but it's not quite as strong on the palate as it was on the nose.

Mouthfeel: Light and airy, and then dry. There isn't much to describe, but I love it. It feels totally refreshing.

Overall: I'm drinking this very fresh, within the month of its release. Beers like this are usually pretty ageable, due to the character of the Belgian yeast, the alcohol content, and the fact that Brett-fermented beers change so much in character over time. I have another bottle that I want to hold onto for at least another year to see how that funk develops; at the moment it's fairly mild. I would say that this is definitely a solid, tasty beer, but the most outstanding aspect of it is actually the mouthfeel. If this were less expensive (prices have ranged between $14-19 from what I've seen) I'd be motivated to get more, but based on the way it's drinking right now, I don't think it's really worth it. Of course, I could try it again in a year and be kicking myself that I didn't get more, but that's the risk one takes, I suppose.

3.5/5