Boulevard Brewing Co - Saison Brett

"Saison-Brett, based on our very popular Tank 7, is assertively dry hopped, then bottle conditioned with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the “Brett” character, if that's what you're after."

I don't have, and was not able to find, much information on what the seasonal production/release of this beer is like, but I can tell you that it sees distribution mainly in the Midwest, with a few scattered coastal/near coastal states. California is not among them, so I received this in a trade. It's 8.5% ABV, and this bottle is relatively fresh.

Appearance: The photo makes it look more orange than it actually is. In person, it's a hazy golden blonde color, and the head leaves thick, dense lacing on the glass and itself remains pretty foamy on top of the layer of beer throughout my sipping session.

Smell: Lemongrass, ester qualities like apple and pear. There is definite rubber-Brett-funk, particularly the more that the beer warms up. There is surprisingly little straight-up earthiness; the aroma is mostly fruit with the funky Brett overtone.

Taste: This beer tastes a lot like how it smells -- like juicy apple and pear, with lemongrass again and a bit more of a straight lemon "zing", like zest rather than pulp. Toward the back end of the palate is where the Brett character really pulls focus, introducing the barnyard and tire funkiness and finishing crisply on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Saisons are often light and moderately dry; that is definitely the case here, and the addition of Brett helps to create an even more dry finish. Which if you've read any of my entries before, you know I love.

Overall: It's still been really hot in LA. It finally seems like it's starting to cool down, as of today, but it was hitting 90 and above basically every day for the last three weeks. BRUTAL! In such temperatures, saisons are a great go-to beer, as they are light and crisp on the palate, and for me there is a quintessential summery-ness to them that feels so appropriate for warm weather consumption. This is a fantastic saison, with the citrus and acidic fruit really shining, and the Brett addition adds a little something extra to the flavor. It's balanced perfectly and continues to develop as I have been sipping it over the course of the evening. If you're in a state where this is available, I'd highly recommend it!

4.5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - E.

E is "a funky version of Edward (american pale ale) - fermented with brettanomyces, dry hopped with galaxy, and aged on stainless for four months. Basically, we refer to it as a farmhouse pale ale - a cross between a saison and an american pale."

This beer is a 7% ABV limited release from Hill Farmstead that was available in bottles. Despite brett-fermented beers aging well, I still wanted to take the opportunity to try this somewhat fresh, as I only have one bottle and I want to try it how the brewers intended it to taste at release. I've mentioned before, but it's worth repeating, that Hill Farmstead's distribution is basically non-existent, and their bottles are brewery-only, as far as I know. California people like myself need friends to go to the brewery for them, so it's through that connection that I was able to acquire this bottle.

Appearance: Hazy dull orange, with a spectacular head that fills up the glass instantly, takes a long while to recede, and leaves dense lacing all around the sides of the glass. Head remains as a foam layer on top of the beer all throughout drinking.

Smell: Definite huge funky brett character in the nose! Sour apple, lemon, and honey, all topped off with a huge whiff of sweat and sourdough. There is a hint of bitterness from the hops, remnants of the pale ale base, but by this time that has mostly mellowed out and the fruit is predominantly mixed with barnyard.

Taste: More massive funk atop citrus and grassy earth character. The hops are more prevalent in the taste, but the brett has worked some absolute magic here as well. This is labeled "Rustic Farmhouse Ale" on the bottle, and that's exactly what this tastes like -- eating an orange or apple, laying in a bale of hay, covered with a horse blanket.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, with that characteristic dry brett finish. Delicious.

Overall: A really excellent saison-ish beer from Hill Farmstead. I love every aspect of it; it's juicy and flavorful, with an inviting aroma, and a great, refreshing mouthfeel. I don't really know how often this is brewed and/or bottled, but I'd love another chance to get some of this one day!

5/5

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

Anchorage Brewing Company - Galaxy White IPA

Anchorage says: "One of the new trails being blazed on the frontier of beer is the style known as White India Pale Ales. Galaxy White IPA represents a significant new landmark on that trail. With its use of fresh kumquats, Indian coriander, and black peppercorns, Galaxy pays homage to the early explorers, who sailed unknown seas in search of rare spices and exotic fruits. Captain Cook travelled from Australia to Alaska, and so have the Galaxy hops used to create this adventurous brew. Just as a true explorer never stands still, the presence of brettanomyces guarantees that Galaxy White IPA will keep evolving in the bottle for years to come."

So, there you (almost) have it. The bottle I'm drinking from is labeled Batch 1/Jan 2012, so while I don't know what the future of this beer is exactly, I'd guess they plan to make it again eventually. I was able to get it here in Los Angeles, but I don't really know what the distribution pattern for this one was like, since we see Anchorage only very sporadically as well. This IPA is 7% ABV and was aged for a spell in oak barrels.

Appearance: Light honey or straw colored, slightly cloudy, with a tall head that is about 3-4 fingers in height. The head recedes and leaves a fairly thick layer of foam on the beer, as well as some sparce lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Caramel malt, faint piney hop character, and a huge blast of funk. Rubber tire, horse blanket, all the good stuff.

Taste: It's a quandary with these oak-aged IPAs, that the hop character is really diminished, leaving mostly the notes from the malt backbone along with whatever character is acquired from the barrel. Interestingly, I don't mind that with this beer, since it has the Belgian white characteristics as well as definite funk from the Brett fermentation. Coriander, grass, oak, musk, pepper, a bit of sweetness from the malt, light orange, and just a bit of funky band-aid (and I feel like I have to say this every time I review a beer with Brett, that these flavors are not for everybody, but I really don't mean things like 'horse blanket' and 'band-aid' in a bad way!)

Mouthfeel: Thick, dense, and creamy. Not a completely dry finish as I might have expected from a Brett beer, but considering how heavy the mouthfeel is otherwise I suppose it is pretty clean.

Overall: Anchorage's blurb was all about adventure and bending genres and exploration, and I definitely think they've accomplished something unique, special, and interesting here. Is it the most outright tasty beer I've ever had? No. But for all of the wanking in the beer community about being bold and different, this beer actually lives up to the promise. If they brew it again, I would love to have the opportunity to drink a bottle super fresh so that I can get more of the hop character. 6 months isn't a very long time to sit on a bottle of "age-able" beer, but the purpose of ageing here is to let the Brett develop, and I definitely did get some Brett characteristics that I don't think I would have needed much more time to reach peak. Overall then this is a pretty solid beer that gets points for actually being creative.

4/5

Russian River - Beatification (Batch 5)

Beatification is a 6% American Wild Ale, aka a "sour beer," and specifically the type of sour beer that is spontaneously fermented (more on that below.) It's an incredibly complex process to create these, and Beatification is a rare offering from Russian River that only comes out every few years. It's a brewery-only release, so you (or someone you know) need(s) to go up to Santa Rosa, CA to get it.

You may be able to read from the label that this beer is 100% spontaneously fermented. This basically means that they didn't rely on controlled amounts or strains of brewers yeast (typically S. cerevisiae) to ferment this beer. Instead, the brewed wort (pre-beer) is left to the open air, so any old kind of bacteria or yeast can get at it. A particularly infamous type of yeast, Brettanomyces, flourishes in these conditions, and this yeast, along with bacteria Lactobacillus and Acetobacter, will create sour flavors as byproducts of their fermentations. What is usually a kind of scary thing is, in this case, encouraged, and many batches of these soured beers will usually be aged for many months, and then blended together until the brewers find a mixture they like. It's an acquired taste for many, but these beers often take on characteristics closer to wine (minus wine being sour) and as such have become lauded for their complexity -- and deliciousness!

Appearance: Light, clear honey caramel, with tons of active, visible carbonation. The head is small and pours initially about 2 fingers tall but recedes quickly to a thin layer of foam that is kept continuously active by the ever flowing carbonation.

Smell: Oak, vinegar, funky leather/tannic quality from the Brett, some lemon and grass.

Taste: Definite tart, sour funkiness from the Brett! Some acidic qualities as well, with lemon, a distinct woodiness, and some smoothing herbal flavors on the back end. Overall, the taste has a lot more kind of straightforward, clean sour flavors, while the nose carries a bit more of the barnyard funk.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is intense and noticeable, but the beer on the whole is very light-bodied and has a wonderful, dry finish. LOVE that dry finish.

Overall: This is a sour lover's sour. It's SUPER tart, but with some great citrus and earthy notes. I love how it feels to drink -- so light and refreshing, but there is such power in the taste. I'm drinking this bottle somewhat fresh, but this will be a fun one to hang onto for a bit to see how it continues to develop in the bottle. What a great beer!

4.5/5

Jolly Pumpkin - Baudelaire IO (2011)

I couldn't find a whole lot of detail on this one online, so unfortunately my fact-checking is a bit patchy. From what I understand, though, IO is a saison that is released in late winter/early spring, and it can be found wherever Jolly Pumpkin is normally distributed (which includes CA, yay!) Truly, Jolly Pumpkin is a really classy smallish brewery that focuses on doing a few oak-aged beers very well. IO is 6.8% ABV, brewed with rose hips, rose petals, and hibiscus, and is fermented at some point in the process with Brettanomyces.

My bottle has been aged for a year, so I am hoping to have more pronounced Brett character than I remember fresh, but I am also obviously interested in the overall character of the beer after a year's time. 

Appearance: The beer and the head both have a pinkish hue over clear amber. I know in the pic it looks cloudy, but once the pour settled it cleared up. The head was pretty tall but not extraordinarily dense, and it left some really interesting lacing clusters on the glass. Overall it's a really interesting looking beer and the picture doesn't really do it justice.

Smell: Lots of floral character, with definite funk. I definitely smell the hibiscus, but not so much the rose, and there are also strong notes of cherry and apple cider. There is also some peppery spice in there. It's a really interesting, diverse nose.

Taste: The taste is really unique, and great! The rose and hibiscus contribute to an overall fresh floral essence that doesn't scream either rose or hibiscus, but evokes green lawns and blooming gardens. The funk from the Brett is there, too: leather, slightly herbal. Finally, the fruit, similar to the nose, finishes the palate, with tastes of apple and citrus zest.

Mouthfeel: Light, effervescent, and very dry. Really refreshing and satisfying. I love this type of mouthfeel, especially for a saison.

Overall: I love this beer, but I think I do prefer it fresh. The Brett character did deepen a bit, but it didn't really improve the overall quality of the beer, and the cidery aspects of the fruit have started to become a bit more prominent after a year. Obviously though, as you could probably tell from the review notes, I really enjoyed drinking this, and will definitely be seeking it out on a yearly basis when it is released.

4.5/5

The Bruery - Saison de Lente

Saison / Farmhouse Ale, 6.5% ABV

Appearance: The beer is a light golden wheat color, with great head and retention. There is tons of lacing left on the glass after the pour. The first pour was very clear, as you can see in the photo.However, toward the bottom of the bottle where the yeast had settled, the later pours were very cloudy, even when trying not to pour the dense yeast layer from the bottle.

Smell: It smelled of sour fruit, particularly apple, with a bit of lavender, clove, and lemongrass.

Taste: I get nice, earthy grass and hops, more green apple -- particularly on the aftertaste --, and some mild dryness and funk on the finish, most likely contributed by the brettanomyces. There is definitely some spicy yeast character here; that and a bit of alcohol provide warmth.

Mouthfeel: The beer is fairly light-bodied with plenty of carbonation, and it has a dry, clean finish.

Overall: This is an extraordinarily drinkable beer. As it says on the bottle, this is perfect for spring/summer. I'd love to have some of this while laying outdoors in a picnic blanket amongst clovers and daisies. It was smooth, well-balanced, and eminently enjoyable. I'll definitely pick up some more of this next year.

5/5

The Bruery - Saison Rue

Belgian-style farmhouse ale (saison), brewed with Brettanomyces and bottle-conditioned, 8.5% ABV

This beer was purchased about 6 months ago, as we entered spring here in Southern California. Though the label suggests cellaring for up to two years, I wanted to give it a try relatively fresh. As this isn't a one-off brew, I'm figuring that if I like it I can always go get another few bottles to age.

Appearance: As you can see from the picture, this is a heady beer. In fact, this photo was taken after the head had settled and more beer was able to be poured! The beer is clear, with a light amber color. It's quite attractive!

Smell: Sour fruit, faint hops, grass

Taste: The taste is a bit maltier than I expected from the smell -- malts come through at the beginning of the palate with a hint of sourness. The Brettanomyces provide the characteristic earthy "funk," and that clear note lends freshness to the finish; however, compared to other Brett beers I've had, they are a lot more mild here in Saison Rue. Grassy hops do come through toward the middle of the body, with the Bretts and a touch of citrus at the end.

Mouthfeel: This is a fairly heavy beer in the mouth, actually. Part of the weight is contributed by the malt character, but is balanced by the tartness of the Brettanomyces. Despite the monstrous head, the carbonation is fairly light.

Overall: This is a tasty if not exceptional saison. As a fan of Brettanomyces, I think I was expecting a bit more of that kick here; however overall the beer is pretty well-balanced so I can't complain about the taste profile -- more Brett might have tilted the scale too far toward the tart/earthy direction for a saison. I will probably try and pick up a bottle to age.

3/5