Sour In The Rye - The Bruery

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.98/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I purchased a 2011 bottle of the Bruery's Sour in the Rye at the Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA on the advice of one of the store's owners. And thank God I took their advice. Served in my Rodenbach Grand Cru glass.

Appearance (4.5/5): Sour in the Rye pours a translucent orange/copper and is topped by a bubbly off-white head. Reddish highlights. Visible carbonation and is apparently effervescent. Very nice looking sour, indeed. I also love the Bruery's labels.

Smell (5/5): Rising from the glass are some flat out outrageous sour tones–vinous, a touch of cherry, apricot, and vinegar. The barrel-aging also comes through, with some wood and a hint of rye spice added to the aroma. This one is QUITE complex in the aroma, as you might expect from such a wild creation–a sour rye beer inoculated with some funky yeast strains.

Taste (5/5): The taste is no letdown. Extremely tart vinous, apricot, vinegar. Rye spiciness is there but not very intense. It takes a back seat to the sour yeasty flavors, which are really the stars of this show. The rye does compliment the sourness well. Citrus flavors of lemon and grapefruit lurk in this complex brew as well. Some toasty grain comes on late, but it's submerged shortly thereafter by the immense, Warhead candy-like sourness that lingers on and on. Divine flavor.

Mouthfeel (5/5): One word: puckering! Good medium-high carbonation. Medium-light body. Wonderful champagne-like effervescence. The sourness of the beer really coats the mouth and lays the smackdown on your palate.

Overall (5/5): This is undoubtedly one of the best sour ales I have ever had. Perhaps only bested by the Bruery's Oude Tart, it is a beer to seek out if you're into the sour stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:26:30 | More by hagbergl

hansblitz

New Jersey

4.93/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

I'm a sucker for sour beers, and this may be the best one i have ever had. I am currently enjoying a 750ml bottle, but i have also had thison tap at the porter in atlanta.

Ruby/rust in color with little head.

Tart in the best way, sort of like unripe fruit. Lots of wood, vinegar, berry aftertaste.

I use this site often but rarely review beers, i love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 05:15:14 | More by hansblitz

joesmithrealname

Connecticut

4.85/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

I am the guy who has ONE beer a night.

It'd better be good.

This was...'nuff said.

$10 10oz snifter @ MAXBURGER Longmeadow, MA

LOVING IT.

Especially think the Cider Bandwagon should venture this way.
I'm sure it's not the healthiest beer, but, I hit the gym today.
The best beer for my dollar at this establishment? Maybe not, but I don't budget my pleasures that way.
This was today, this was my beer, this was a good choice.
CHEERS!

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 02:21:34 | More by joesmithrealname

nycwinter

California

4.83/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from my RS initiation allocation poured into a Bruery tulip glass. What else would I pour this into?

A=Little head and carbonation to speak of, lest you swirl vigorously. Color is a caramel orange and pale yellow on the borders.

S= Mostly vinegar or white wine sour notes up front. The overall nose is weighed heavily by sweet honey and brown sugar covered cherries with oak undertones. It smells so freakin' yummy!

T= Dry sour lemon juice hits the tongue first. A mildly spicy vinegar tinge coats the tongue in the middle and lasts throughout. The sweetness in the nose does not stand up in the taste very much, but there is a sense of fresh cherries or sour grapes present.

M= Lighter than expected considering the absence of effervescence. Possibly due to the overall super-dryness. Puckering sourness leaves you thirsting for more. And that's why we like these sours, right?

O= I could drink this beer all the time. So sour, so pleasantly sweet on the nose, and just right in the ABV realm. One of the best Bruery creations yet.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 04:32:33 | More by nycwinter

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

4.79/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottled 11/12. Drank from a Kuhnhenn snifter

A-Deep hazy orange with an amber tint. Two finger head that left a small amount of lacing.

S-Tart aroma upfront with notes of cherries, oak, and a little funk.

T-Nice vinegary tartness upfront that fades nicely into a subtle spiciness from the rye. Also picking up a mild cherry and caramel sweetness with hints of funk and oak. That tartness comes back at the end of the taste and leaves a bone dry finish.

M-Moderate body and carbonation levels. Extremely dry almost champagne like mouthfeel.

O-Excellent AWA. Great balance of flavor and tartness. Probably pick up a few more of these to see what a little age does to them.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 20:53:38 | More by Wolfpack2005

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-dark orange with a nice cream colored head

S-wow this tingles the nose! Really sour smelling! There are also some caramels, biscuity scents, and lemon. Quite mouth watering! Some oak flavoring

T-comes in with a super tart flavor of aged peppercorn and biscuits, light on the pepper. This tingles the mouth. It's a super strong and creamy flavor. The end has quite a quality flavor of dark fruits. This is a fantastic beer!!

M-medium creamy carbonation with a nice tart and creamy finish

O-one of the best wild ales I've ever had. The quality in this sort of ale does not get higher. Tying new Bruery beers is such a joy, and beers like this remind me why it's one of my favorite breweries. I was craving a wild ale, and this beer will keep me satisfied for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:47:14 | More by AdamBear

Viciousknishs

Virginia

4.73/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a rustic deep burnt amber color with a healthy finger and a half of white head. Ok retention with a half a finger remaining till the end. Some spotty lacing.

S- lots of acidic tartness in the nose with a touch of sugar. It's a lot like a sour patch kid. Funk, soft oak and horse blanket/barnyard blend in beautifully! Some cinnamon rye spiciness on the back end with some apple vinegar on the finish.

T- big acidic tartness with notes of apple vinegar and lemon peel. Some powdered sugar and gummy candy like a sour patch kid in the middle with notes of rye spice and cinnamon. Soft oak tones and lingering refreshing dry funky finish with a round tartness that lingers into the aftertaste.

MF- slick prickly mouthfeel with a light medium body. Awesome fine carbonation.

D- super refreshing and incredibly drinkable.

Overall an incredible wild ale. Get many if you can!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 05:15:17 | More by Viciousknishs

Hopstuff

4.71/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Oh My! The Bruery has knock it out of the park. This beer gets started from its sexy looks, then draws you near with its insanely amazing odors. Then you actually get to drinking it, and I have never tasted a beer that so completely encompasses your entire mouth. From front to back this little bad boy reels you in. I have never tasted a mid-section so complete and mind blowing. From its parts that are amiable and tender like a cider, to that last little note of twangieness flexing that tiny muscle under your jaw bone; this bitch comes through like clutch free throw shooter being giving the ball in the last seconds of the game. You know they are going to foul, but you know those points are as good as already on the board.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 04:39:07 | More by Hopstuff

GRG1313

California

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brown-carmel color with orange tones.

Great mouthfeel with big bold flavors, body and mouthfeel.

Carmel, cherry, brown sugar, tart cooked citrus and wine vinegar. A big cocoa tart character that rocks. I don't know how you pull off a big "cocoa" sour but it works, with that big cherry undertone. Big rye character comes through in all respects.

Nice pucker factor and an over all wonderful drink.

Patrick, Tyler et al continue to produce some of the tastiest stuff around.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 00:01:22 | More by GRG1313

UCLABrewN84

California

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap for Churchill's Renaissance at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a murky dark gold with a beige head that fades to nothing. Thin streaks of lace drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is all kinds of funky, sour, and tart with a nice fruity presence as well. Taste is outstanding and is a perfect translation of the smell made better. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is an excellent sour that is just super tasty and super easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 22:29:23 | More by UCLABrewN84

dbc5

Ohio

4.66/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750 ml poured into 10 ounce Kentucky Bourbon Stout snifter.

A: An orange/amber color with a foamy, off white, 2 finger head off following a moderate pour. Beer is slightly hazy and very attractive in the glass.

S: Acidic sour up front with underlying mango, peach, and apricot aromas. Picking up some rye spiciness, although it isn't prevalent. Mainly sour and the aforementioned fruits.

T: Mouth watering peaches meld beautifully with mouth puckering sweetness. I much prefer the level of acidity in this one relative to other Bruery sours (e.g. Tart of Darkness). The peach presence in this one is the star, which was an unexpected surprise. Being honest, this presents as more peach forward than Fantasia, which is hard to believe but welcome.

M: A dry, tart, and crisp finish, which is exactly how I like my sours. Pleasant, moderate carbonation.

O: One of the more impressive sours I have had recently. Still trying to wrap my head around the peach aromas and flavors I am picking up in this one. Fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:31:50 | More by dbc5

MighHighBrewer

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Been waiting six months to drink this bad boy. Hope it's worth it. Bottle poured into tulip.

A: Pours a copper/bronze color with an orange tint. The beer looks relatively hazy but without visible sediment. Decent head with big bubbles that (unfortunately) disappates within 30 seconds after pouring. Good lacing around the glass, however. Overall, it looks like how you expect a brown sour ale to look.

S: This beer has a powerful nose that you an easily smell from a good 6 inches away. Initial smells primarily of stone fruit - apricot and cherries mostly. There is a good background of citrus fruit with some earthiness/funkiness one would expect from a sour. Not an overpoweringly sour nose though. I dont get any rye and very little oak, but I expect that to come through in the taste. Overall, the beer has a fruitier nose than expected.

T: I always find sours hard to give an accurate taste profile to since the tartness seems to overwhelm some of the more nuanced tastes. However, I can tell you that this is one exceptional tasting sour. Initial taste is what you would expect: sour apple, citrus fruit, etc. Subsequent sampling reveals the more nuanced profile of the beer: cherries, chardonnay grapes, a definite rye background, and a tinge of oak (like the smell though, not much oak). I'm most impressed with the malt background of this beer: big and robust, it holds up well against the sour Brett. I attribute that to the rye.

M: Dry in the beginning, but surprisingly robust the more you drink the beer. Some sours are like drinking fermented fruit juice - they have no body. Not this beer. It has a robust mouthfeel that really holds up well during drinking and lingers nicely on the tongue.

O: This is one of my new favorite sours. It holds up really well against the more well-known sours from producers like Crooked Stave and NB. It has a unique, fruity flavor profile that is propped up by an excellent malt base. Great job Bruery - I'll be purchasing more if I see it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 00:42:07 | More by MighHighBrewer

Overlord

California

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The score of this beer is too low. Bow your heads in shame, beeradvocate.com community.

Pours a murky orange, with some amber highlights. Smell is vinous notes with a definite nuance of rye. Pretty nice, mmm...smells vinegar-y sour, but not one-note.

Immediately after sipping this beer, I asked for a description of what is was aged in. That's because of the insane vinous/red wine notes in it. Turns out it was, indeed, aged in wine barrels. The rye and somewhat sweet malt maintain some presence, but the overall flavor is one of delicious vinous/wine-y sour, with a tinge, just a tinge of funk. The oak background and hint of cherry slurry provides some balance, and is quite addictive.

Insanely drinkable, absolutely perfectly balanced. Nice well carbonated mouthfeel. They refused to give me a growler of it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2009 00:46:48 | More by Overlord

ehammond1

California

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle (2012)

The Bruery Provisions
Orange, CA

(Aged for 1 year)

Darker than anticipated, even after having this beer a number of times. I simply don't remember it being this dark: a hazed dark amber and an off-white head of creamy foam. Leaves the glass very messy with irregular spiderwebs of lace. A gorgeous American rye sour ale. I can't mark this down for anything.

Sharply sour aroma, definite citrus, some white pepper, and a bit of a rye spice, though I probably wouldn't name rye without the obvious steering. There's just a touch of funk and some white fruit elements in the aroma. Wonderful. As the beer warms, a very nice vanilla character emerges. Surprisingly delightful.

Very sour, lots of complementary fruit flvaors (citrus, pear, and juicy green grapes), some white pepper, and vanilla combine exceptionally well.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

I always held off on reviewing this one because I didn't actually believe it was as good as I thought it was. I wanted to sit down with a full glass of this beer and really contemplate it before giving it such high marks. A year after release, I'm finally doing just that, and this beer is exceptional. It's one of my favorite American sours. I suppose if I had to find a flaw, I'd want more funk, but the flavors that are here are just too extraordinary to worry about complaining about anything.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 04:20:24 | More by ehammond1

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.54/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Russet color. Astounding head in size and in retention. Looks so damn gratifying.

Rye spiciness and warmth, fermented sourness, tart stone fruits, French oak, currant, vinous berry, and a kiss of vanilla. Wonderful.

Excellently soft sourness, brawny rye malt spiciness, sweet oak wood, tart currant, unripe berry, lemon rind, white vinegar, and some fruity vanilla. Has a Flemish twist to it. Absolutely elegant, yet bold. Incredibly enjoyable. One of the best tasting beers I've had this year.

Slick and just biting enough. Nice mellow tartness extends deep into the finish. No sour burn. Agreeable in the stomach. No noticeable alcohol. Brighter still with a medium-level effervescence.

Unreal good. Like a sour rock and rye. Killer beer. I need a solid Bruery connection because of beers like this.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 15:07:03 | More by thecheapies

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.54/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured into my tulip a big, condensed head with an orange hue forms. Some really huge bubbles form at the top as it starts to break down. The beer is equally as bubbly, and well filtered. The color is very pretty. I can only describe it as a mix of orange and pink.

S - Quite a strong nose here. Sour fruits, and a definite rye spice presence. I detect some cherries, and grape. Oak is there from the barrel to. Smell is wonderful.

T - The description on the bottle sums this up. Deliciously sour? check. Spicy rye? check. Hints of oak? check. The rye and oak are extremely necessary to add balance to this. The sour/tartness of this beer is right up there with RR Supplication. Theres a bit of stone fruit in the flavor also.

M - The body is light to medium with high carbonation, just as a wild ale normally is. No alcohol felt, but the sour punch this packs demands this a sipper.

O - I'm quite mad at myself. I picked this up at the Blue Dog in Chalfont, and this has been on their tap list for some time. It's probably done now. Had I known I'd of stopped every day after work and had 2 or more. One of the best sours I've had, and I will certainly be ordering this whenever and wherever I can.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:30:29 | More by haazer

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Shared with Rudzud as usual.

Big creamy fizzy 1 finger head fades semi quickly but keeps getting fed by streaming bubbles, some lacing, weird looking murky grayish brownish orange red colored thing. Color is ugly but the streaming bubbles are nice.

Nose starts with tart fruit and plenty of it, some wild funk like Brett, light sweet candy gummy like some fruit maybe peach like, light bready malt thing from the funk, faint spiciness from the rye, faint dusty wood barrel and touch vanilla, a juicy fleshy strawberry banana fruit like, little sweet reddish malt and candy.

Taste starts quite sour, very sour, long tart fruit and straight lambic like sour, nice tart fruit with hints if strawberry and stone fruit, a tannic strawberry seed maybe stem, and faint light peach like fruit, juicy. Then funk, just a bit of Brett funk and bready malt. Some light sweet candy reddish malts, very light spicy fruity rye. Plenty acidic with tart acetic acid, most likely Brett lambicus, and faint touch of dusty wood barrel. Finish is drier but very sticky flemmy and sour, more tart fruit, little lambic like, acidic bite, touch bready yeast, more peach and strawberry like sour fruit, some vanilla coming through quite late.

Mouth is med to lighter bod, quite sour and tart, decent fluffy carb.

Overall very nice, very little rye, but great lambic like sour fruit and tartness, good funk overall, juicy fruit, light barrel notes, very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 14:30:08 | More by jlindros

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rare Bruery bottle #3 of 3 shared by Tanger on 2/8/11!

A - Poured a hazy, cloudy burnt umber with deep amber hues and a foamy beige cap that reduced to a patchy retention and some craggy lace.

S - Nose is quite sour, but I get quite a bit of tropical fruit, especially pineapple, which caught me completely off-guard! There is a slight spicy rye character also present, but the aroma is all about tart fruit.

T - Initial flavor combines sour fruit with a tangy citrus character suggesting pineapple, grapefruit and lemon. Finishes with just a hint of rye spiciness, a toasted grainy malt aspect and a wash of tartness across the tongue.

M - The texture is surprisingly really creamy for a sour beer. Carbonation is quite mild. Finishes with a hint of spiciness and plenty of tartness on the palate, which gives way to a bit of pucker.

D - OK. After these three beers (the other two being Chocolate Rain and BBA Two turtle Doves), I am officially a fan of The Bruery. I had been on the fence before, but no longer. Amazing stuff! This is such an awesome, tasty sour beer... definitely one of the best American sours I've had to date!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 15:33:03 | More by ffejherb

chugalug06

Colorado

4.49/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Slow growing white foamy head, brew is mango-peach colored and reasonably clear. Moderate lacing.

Strong tart vinegar-y apple. Some light rye and light kicks of vanilla too.

Whoa. Flavor is much different than scent, crazy! Pear, apple, extremely tart, wet, high carbonation, oakey, spicy, peppered, uptight sweetness. I feel flavor will develop very well in the years to come and carbonation should settle out a bit too. More barn funk come as it opens rye is still reserved, but present.

Very unique brew, worth $25/750ml. Recommended even at that price point.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:18:15 | More by chugalug06

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.46/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a dark amber color, thin beige head on the top of it. Beige or off white? Leaves a happy amount of lace down the side of the glass despite the lack of head initially, commonplace when dealing with sour/wild ales. Nice tart aroma, can't pull any rye qualities out of the nose, but there's so much sourness, its probably tough to compete in that realm.

Taste wise, this pulls down lots of depth and has a consistency that is thicker than the vast majority of any wild ales out there. Gritty at times. Its like a much better flanders oud bruin. Much more sour, much more viscosity, earthiness. Nothing like the usual rye ipas I have, this one is thicker, less 'spice' notes to take note of. Any fruit leanings would be lemon and dark cherry, but those aren't as if they are in full force like in a kriek or full fledged fruit beer or anything. Lactic. Oakiness is just right. Good alcohol warmth that isn't a distraction, but hearty enough to do some damage.

Have had this in multiple variations, year to year, on tap etc. . . and they've always been good and consistent. Very good. One of my favorites, can't wait to try the peaches version!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 17:34:09 | More by Beerandraiderfan

SHODriver

California

4.46/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a deep orange with a half inch of dense white head that fades to a small mat and collar in an oversize wine glass
S: smells of sourness and bretty barnyard with some funk and fruitiness
T: nice sourness mostly acetic but slightly lactic all around, a bit of spicy rye with hints of bretty funk and slight band aid flavor along with a bit of fruity sour flavor as well. swallow brings more sourness with a slight hint of sweetness followed a bit of chalky brett, a slight seltzery character and more funk
M: somewhat light but not overly so with slightly prickly carb a bit drying on the finish but not overly so
O: It's quite good. it's not overly sour but it has a nice pucker to it, good flavors and a solid complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:13:57 | More by SHODriver

vacax

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Bruery.

Pours a dark orange with medium cloudiness. Eggshell colored head is quite persistant and leaves abundant lace. Nose of tart red fruit from the wine barrel, tart lactic character, and sweetness of marzipan.

Flavor is a great combination of of sweet malts and a balanced sour character. Reminiscent of a Flemish Red, but also has a nice lactic sourness. Spicy, bitter, and tart finish from the rye. A lot of complexity here that all works together quite beautifully. Quite delicious. Light body from the lusciously smooth full carbonation.

An example of why The Bruery has such a good reputation, there are probably less than half a dozen breweries in the country that can do sours this well. This is just good beer, which is underrated at the moment.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2009 23:18:17 | More by vacax

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a clear toffee to amber in color with some light to moderate amounts of gentle carbonation and some golden yellow highlights. The beer has a half finger tall off-white head that quickly reduces to a small patch of very thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of sourness/tartness with some lighter notes of oak, apricot, and sour cherry.

T: The primary flavor I get from this beer is the tartness/sourness which is moderate to strong in strength. There is a great amount of lacto-sour flavors with some moderate notes of oak and just a hint of vanilla. There are also some hints of white grape, apricot, and sour cherry. Delicious .

M: Just heavier than light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Heavy amounts of acidic prickliness. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This one definitely makes you pucker up a little bit from the tartness/sourness but yet this remains one of the most drinkable sour beers I have had - and I am a fan of sour beers. There is a great complexity of the flavors in the sourness. I found this one real easy to drink but I needed to sip it.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 23:13:53 | More by dbrauneis

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Cloudy amber-red with a finger of frothy white head. Fades fairly quickly.

S - Tart green fruits, spicy rye, oak, red wine, vanilla, sour cherries, caramel malts, funky Brett and other yeasts, lactic acid.

T - Tart green and pitted fruits, sour cherries, red wine, oak, vanilla, spicy rye, caramel malts, funky Brett, lactic acid, a touch of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart, sour, and spicy finish.

D - Great rye and sour beer. Great complexity and balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 21:55:24 | More by ngeunit1

billshmeinke

California

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a wine glass

A dark/murky orange-ish amber body with a tiny bubbly cap of foam. Dies down to a ring of foam around the edge of the glass.

Smells of oak, sour cherry, a touch of vanilla.

Tastes of sour grapes and cherries with plenty of American oak, maple, vanilla, even a bit of caramel, and a touch of sherry.

The mouthfeel is medium to heavy with fairly high carbonation which lightens things up a bit

Alcohol is very well hidden the juxtaposition between sour and sweet bourbon like flavors is amazing.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 01:16:58 | More by billshmeinke