Cable Car - The Lost Abbey

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I have waited a really long time to try this beer, Some might say too long, But never the less, this was no easy feat to track one down. That being said I was graciously able to acquire through a wonderful west coast friend who took pity on my plea. The was a 2008 vintage bottle, served out of the cellar at around 50 degrees and poured into my darkness snifter, let the games begin.

As I pour it out, I have to admit I am a bit nervous here. Maybe it is the high expectations I have for this brew, perhaps the preconceived notions are getting to me, no matter. Pours out a very nice and cloudy orange tinted amber color. I could not see through the glass when held up to the light. Nice fizzy head rises quickly to about an inch and a half and then faded away into the night, leaving an almost bare top, well after a few minutes it was a totally bare top. Some light carbonation could be seen inside the glass and a good bit of sediment getting stirred up in the bottle.

Aroma is a tar bomb off the bat, but not enormously sour. Much more complex then then that. Light notes of citrus, orange, semi sweet notes as well coming though as it warms. Deep horse funk apparent as well now. So I go in, for my first sip of Cable Car, and I have to admit it is much more mellow then I thought it would be. Seriously though, I was expecting this deep, wretchedly sour ale and this was not the case. It was remarkably smooth, almost sinisterly so. Deep funky notes predominate, with early touches of white grapes and tart apples. Soo damn smooth though. A bit light on the carbonation in the feel, left me looking for a little more, but damn the taste is unreal. Cannot really compare it too much else. It is just amazing drinkable. The first glass went down like water for me, but half way through the second the ABV starts to kick in and I am feeling it as I type this for sure. Still though I find myself wanted to take bigger and bigger sips, it just that smooth. The finish had to be the driest I can recall with all moisture being sucked from the palate almost immediatly.

Overall wow. The taste was just out of this world. It could have used a bit more pop in the carbonation and appearence but that being said it was still unreal. Super damn drinkable and just absurd. Worth the hunt as I cannot compare it to anything else.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 00:32:00 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.13/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2007 Vintage

A: The pour is a very hazy golden yellow color without much head and very little retention.

S: The nose is full of lactic tartness with a mild mustiness and a pleasant barnyard funk. The sourness is primarily in the form of lemon and green apples.

T: The flavor is highly sour with plenty of lemony lactic acid and a touch of vinegar. The funk is much more subdued than the nose would lead you to believe.

M: The body is light to medium with a full carbonation and a nice dry finish.

D: This particular bottle was the best of the Cable Car pours that I've had. A solid sourness and nice fruit character, but a little lacking in the "funk" department.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 21:08:04 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2008 Vintage.

A: Pours a light, somewhat hazy apricot color with a nice white head and a decent amount of lacing.

S: The initial smell is quite sweet and balanced. The sourness is assertive but not at all overwhelming. Picked up quite a few notes of apricot and peach.

T: Similar to the nose in that there is a surprising amount of balance to this, unlike most other Lost Abbey sours that I've come across. Nice stone fruit flavors alongside the lactic sourness. Overall, a very nice balance, just not quite what I was expecting. Hints of orange and lemon zest.

M: Nice sourness and low carbonation.

D: Very drinkable all around for a sour. Definitely glad to finally be able to try this one out and would love to have it again, although it's definitely not quite up there with Isabelle and Veritas 004.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2010 00:52:55 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden body with a white, wispy head.

Smell: A funk-riddled yeasty, fruity, tart-smelling aroma of apricots, citrus, and peaches. Hint of oak.

Taste: Faint malt flavor with a touch of dough and a brief sweetness with a follow-through of the fruits lurking in the aroma. Bright acidity. Musty, earthy yeast character. Faint oakiness. Dry, tart finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Lively carbonation.

Drinkability: A very fine beer. I'm quite pleased I had the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2007 03:49:10 | More by ChainGangGuy

drabmuh

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2007 Vintage. This beer is amazing, plain and simple.

Beer is yellow and slightly hazy. Forms large bubbles and a large but diffuse head of very large bubbles. Carbonation is steady and strong.

STRONG chardonnay like aroma. Very sour in the nose with a slight funk that becomes more obvious the more you smell.

Beer is medium to low bodied and has a slightly citric sourness to it. Nothing much in the forward but there is a definite and growing sourness in the back of the mouth. Drinkability for this beer is really high and mouthfeel is great. Lots of carbonation on the tongue contributes to the overall sourness and feel of this beer. I'm in love.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2010 20:14:58 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge, huge thanks to mba3243 for trading me a bottle of this brew. After being invited to taste with Beerloco and d0b I had to step up and find something worthy to bring to the table, and this gem just sort of popped up (after probably way too many pleading beermails to Mark). This was the '08 vintage (batch 2) and was served in my Kuhnhenn tulip.

A - One finger of off-white foam with lovely lacing. A pleasant hazed golden apricot color. Not the most interesting looking brew, you'd never realize what it was just by looking at it.

S - Holy funk Batman! Tons of brett, horse blanket, white wine, sour apples, oak, and notes of graham cracker sweetness. This is up there with the best Belgian gueuzes in terms of being delightfully funky but not out of control.

T - Sour apple, vinous and oaky, cider vinegar, and plenty of earthy funkiness evocative of stables, barns, and bales of hay. This is one of the rare brews where I didn't experience much drop-off from the smell to the taste. Dave astutely pointed out that it was similar to Isabelle, and after having a taste of IP late in the night I'd be inclined to agree.

M - Smooth, velvety, moderate carbonation, dry, woody finish from the oak-aging, and some of the cottonmouth tartness. There's a slight warmth that wasn't present in Deviation (which is only .57% lighter in ABV).

D - There is a touch of palate fatigue that sets in from the funk and sourness, but I'd still have few problems putting down an entire bottle. The last bit of the bottle had an almost milky consistency from the bottle-conditioning, but still tasting just as good (we weren't letting any of this stuff go to waste!).

After having landed this white whale I'm not certain I'd give up as much as I did again - however it was still worth it to try this rarity. I'm wondering how different this is from the first batch, as the rumor has it that the original recipe was never recorded and batch 2 is a "re-creation". This is a superb wild ale, it just had the misfortune of following up the sublime Deviation and paled a little in comparison. If our sour lineup was analogous to the LotR trilogy, this would be The Two Towers.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 04:56:12 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Batch 2; Sampled August 2008
Funky, cheesy and sour notes are quite noticeable as I pour this brew. An average pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip produces an almost two finger thick, pale, white colored head that leaves some lacing on the sides of my glass. This has a little chill haze and a touch of permanent haze to it; it went into the cooler with only a slight haze. The beer is a murky, light amber color as it sits on my desk, but it shows an orangish copper hue when held up to the light. Wow, this is much more funky than I was expecting it to be, more funky than just about any other Lost Abbey brew. Ample butyric acid aromas of old, dried sweat laden blankets and cured leather are joined by funky-woody mushroom aromas, some definite farmhouse cheese notes (though this is somewhat soft), uriatic cat pee, fresh scraped lemon zest, oxidized peanuts. This is all anchored by spicy, tannic oak notes that linger in the background of the nose, but are quite noticeable once you get past the funk. Some fruitiness seems noticeable at times, but at others is drowned out by the funk; when noticed, aromas of ripe pear, white wine vinegar, hints of kumquat pith & zest, . This has a very complex, very funky aroma that has a significant, but not overwhelming oak character that seems to be a bit more pervasive than I originally thought, but as a supporting role.

The first sip is quite dry tasting, it is not quite as mouth puckeringly sour as I was expecting, based upon the aroma, but still has a nice tartness to it. My first sip definitely leaves me thinking that this needs to have a harder sourness to it. The carbonation is at a light-medium level; persistent, prickly and noticeable, but not any where near the effervescence of sparkling Gueuze (which seems to be a rarer and rarer thing now a days, even amongst the classic Gueuze producers). The flavor also seems a bit cleaner than the aroma, though it is definitely tart and funky. The acidity here seems predominantly lactic in character and reminds me of tart grapefruit, some lemon zest, a touch of vinegar-like bite in the finish. Other flavors that round things out are a slight, funky cheddar cheese note, something a bit like smoked almonds, a touch of saltiness (tied up in the previous note), a definitely tannic finish and some light, spicy oak notes there as well. This somehow picks up a perception of sweetness to it, though I don't think there is much in the way of residual sugars in this beer; it almost seems to be acidity based. Light and quaffable, this beer also hides its alcohol quite well, which makes it all that much more drinkable.

My second pour of this is a touch more yeasty, which seems to soften the tartness a bit and also adds some raw, fermented dough notes (though only just a touch) as well as enhancing a cooked bread like character (sour dough to be sure though). I easily polish off this 750ml bottle, though there is enough acidity to make my empty stomach feel a bit rumbly. Worthy of the hype that I built up in my mind? I don't know, but it is definitely worth the hype to try it. It could use a touch more carbonation as a beer like this could always use a lively carbonation in my book.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2008 18:50:19 | More by Gueuzedude

emerge077

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another impossible bottle that had eluded me until now.
Thanks to Anwar for sharing this gem!

Review from notes, early first vintage 2007.

Into a wine glass it poured a glowing orange, with a slight haze but surprisingly some clarity as well. Visible rising carbonation, a thin ring of foam at the edges, and a ghostly wispy skim across the surface. No lace remained in the glass.

Bright fruity aroma, a blended cocktail of sweetish grapefruit, white grape, lychee, and lemon. Oaky too, with a mild spice, and some minerals.

Puckering and tart, balanced sourness, lemon, orange, and grapefruit blend seamlessly. It lingers on the palate, with traces of oak, citrus, and grape. Salivary glands kick into overdrive. Clean and quenching sourness, balanced with a good deal of wild complexity. Unique but maybe not the pinnacle sour ale from Lost Abbey. Thanks again Anwar for the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 02:01:48 | More by emerge077

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A 750 mL corked and caged bottle (Batch 1) graciously shared by the one and only spacecoyote.

A: The ale is a hazy golden color, a weizen-like melange of sediment and goldenrod. The head held up well through several glasses.

S: The aroma is funky, but not as tart as I expected. A wide array of fruits pop up throughout and add a varied sweetness to the ale.

T: Man oh man! I was expecting the utmost in tartness, the end-all be-all of face pucker, so I was mildly surprised by a reserved tartness that strikes up front and supports the the fruitiness throughout. After the mild tartness, the fruits make themselves known. Apricot, green apple and lots of grapefruit mark the fruitiness. The grapefruit is most memorable, as it is not hop-driven. The finish shows off the flavor, a tart sweetness that really bites at the taste buds. The mix of flavors is incredible, a magnum opus.

M: The mild tartness is refreshing, not so strong that you can't handle repeat sips. The tart fruit flavors are divine.

D: I almost passed out when Carl pulled this one out of his cooler. It is easily one of the most drinkable sour ales that you'll come across.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2008 01:40:17 | More by akorsak

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had at the huge whale-ish tasting at Chris's. Thanks to tai4ji2x for this one, a 1L swingtop growler.

Pours a light fizzy head (yay carbonation) which fades quickly over semi clear golden color.

Nose of a light tart fruity sour, lemony like fruit, other fruits as well, light golden malts and a touch of sweetness.

Taste is semi sweet with golden Belgian like malts, tart fruits, little zest and lemon, bready light funk, touch of fruit like apricot or peach, light toasty caramelized candy sugar like, light sweetness, bitter rind, finish is a little flemmy with a dry bready funk, almost no acidity, light oak and vanilla rounding.

Mouth is medium to lighter bodied, decent carbonation.

Overall great, very drinkable, light tartness, nice dry light bready funk, even has some carbonation.

Serving type: growler

06-08-2011 03:15:37 | More by jlindros

mdfb79

New York

4.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 04/30/11 notes. Got to try this one at Dark Lord Day thanks to Sean9689; huge thanks Sean, this was one of my biggest Wants! 2010 vintage from a swing top bottle.

a - Pours a hazy yellow color with an inch of white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of sour lemons, other sour fruits, oak, earthy notes. Very nice and sour, though not overally tart. Pretty amazing.

t - Tastes of tart lemon, sour citrus, tart fruits, oak, earthy, grassy notes, and a very light mustiness. Again, absoutely amazing. Not the sourest beer I've ever had, but one of the more enjoyable sour beers.

m - Light to medium body and low to moderate carbonation.

o - Overall one of the best sours I've had; I'm really glad it actually lived up to my expectations. Had a lot of great beers at DLD and this one was probably my favorite. Lots of sour and tart lemons and while not overly sour, it's very refreshing and enjoyable. Would jump at the chance to by a bottle of this one when and if I make it out to Toronado.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 00:27:57 | More by mdfb79

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Much thanks to Phatz for sharing this rarity of a gem.

Appears a hazy, light gold with a small white head that slowly fades into a mild cap. Lacing is scattered all over the glass like tiger stripes. Streams of CO2 quickly rise to the top.
Smell is of caramel, candy sugar, vanilla, barnyard, funky must, cinnamon, and cardamom, with a touch of apple.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas that meld together in a lemony zest, citrusy, sweet, funky, and tart blend that tantalizes the tastebuds into craving this different but enticing brew.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, chewy, full of candy orange, funk, with a dryness covering the palate with citrusy zest.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2007 15:40:42 | More by weeare138

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This was the 2009 vintage on tap @ the Toronado (San Diego, CA) on 11/11/09. Special tapping of the '08 and '09 during San Diego Beer Week. This was a pretty generous 8 oz pour (especially compared to what is looked like some people got of this) served in a tulip glass.

Pours a hazy rosy copper, with a thin covering of brite-white foam. Retains mostly with some froth around the edges, leaving a moderate smattering of lacing behind. Nice look here. The aroma is sharp in the nose with fruity citrus, that has a touch of acidity to it. Sugary and doughy sweetness fills out the middle portion of this, while I'm getting a good bit of slick woody barrel notes on the backend. Mostly though, this is all about that vibrant smelling fruity tartness. I could stick my nose in this all day.

The taste is straight up bright feeling citric tartness, with a touch of vinegar on the edges, but this never gets souring at any point during the glass. That same mix of sugar and bread from thh aroma gives off a cookie dough vibe, that when mixed with the citrus, has that same fantastic SweeTart character that I'm finding more and more in some of these top-grade Wild Ales. For me though, the backend of the profile on this is what makes it. Vivacious citrus notes of apricot, grapefruit, and lemon rind, that blend into a dry lingering oakiness which hangs on the tongue. Just a lovely, lovely, finish here. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with just a beautiful feeling mellow creaminess to it that runs the whole way through the swallow. Some slippery woody slickness runs underneath but the carbonation that runs on top of it is just some of the most smooth and easy that I've felt in quite some time. It's not wonder that I'm rapidly losing liquid as I review this.

I had the opportunity to try some of the '08 next to this and I must say that I think I prefer this fresh, as the citrus is more pronounced and the funk hadn't yet started to overtake it. That said, this stuff is the real deal, and I feel very fortuitous to have been able to try this on draft. I think that there might certainly be some comparable Wilds out there that are a bit easier to get but by no mean pass this up if you get a chance to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2009 13:09:29 | More by Kegatron

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to grub for providing this rare bottle, Batch 001. Day 1 of insane DrJay visit epic tasting.

Pours a hazy pale golden yellow, thick white head forms, drops a bunch of lace spots on the glass, settles to a medium sized ring, looks nice. Smell is great, very acidic, charred wood, vinegar, lemon juice, fruit, very funk, leathery, alcohol, mangoes, acidity burns the nose a bit. Taste is nice too, sour fruit up front, vinegar, wood, sour mangoes, honey/caramely malt, bread, very acidic funkiness in the finish, very sour. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with high carbonation, very nice, burns going down, very acidic stuff. Great sour, nice woody character, Lost Abbey can do no wrong. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2008 16:04:35 | More by Viggo

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.68/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pale orange color to this one. Slight ring of head around it. Amazing aroma, extremely tart, funky, nothing really fruity to it, beyond what you would think to be lemon based on the sheer tartness, but nonetheless, fantastic.

Taste = sour. Lemon, slight wood notes. Its actually pretty straightforward and not complex, just massively sour, extremely dry. Extremely light body to it, never feels heavy, nor alcoholic. Shit, if you could just chill on these around the pool in the backyard. Gets better as it warms, which I didn't think was possible at first it was so good.

Expensive. Can't get a perfect overall score when you're $40 and only available at 2 bars, one of which sucks ass.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 16:55:59 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big thanks go out to FooFaa for busting this out at a recent tasting. I've wanted to try this beer for a very long time so I was really psyched to try it. Thanks a bunch Dan!

Pours a dark golden ripe banana color that is slightly murky with a one finger off-white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring. There is very minimal lacing, only small spots here and there.

Very funky aroma with some nice barnyard, horseblankety goodness. Lots of crisp golden fruits, apple, pear, grape, etc and a nice dusty earthy oak character. Just the smell of this beer made my mouth water. I literally sniffed my glass for several minutes before even taking a sip.

This beer has a perfect balance of intense puckering tart barnyard funk, horseblanket notes, slightly lactic and acidic but not too much so. Tart and sour intensity up front that settles into some beautiful light crisp golden fruit notes. Hints of apple, pear, grapefruit, light grape followed by more funky brett oaky sourness which lingers into the amazing mouthwatering finish. Very dry yet sweet and crisp with an amazing crisp dry tart puckering finish.

This is an amazing beer that for me truly lived up to the hype. It is just a perfect blend of tart/puckering sourness, crisp delicious fruit notes and a dry sweet yet tart delectable finish. This beer tasted better with each sip and my mouth was literally watering in anticipation of each sip. This is one of the most complex, flavorful sours I've ever had and I cannot recommend it any higher. I only wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 02:00:34 | More by corby112

glid02

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle consumed at Toronado San Diego - been waiting a while to try this one.

Pours a slightly hazy golden-peach color with a two-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of funk - wet hay and leather is the best way I can describe it - along with good amounts of sugar-coated fruits - apricots, pears, and peaches, in that order.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Indistinct malt flavors serve as the backbone and allow funk and fruit flavors to run roughshod. A funkiness as described above permeates the flavor profile, although there's also a certain harsher (though not in a bad way) addition to the flavor profile via the oak. Ripe apricot and peach flavors are at the forefront with syrupt pear flavors lurking in the background. The ending is crisp and leaves just a hint of funkiness lingering on the palate.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass very quickly and could easily have a few more. The flavors are all robust but manage to complement each other very well.

Overall this beer didn't disappoint. It isn't the best sour that I've ever had but it does come very close. Well worth the shot if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 19:07:00 | More by glid02

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to grub for cracking this one open. Day 1 of the 2008 Biergotter Tasting. Batch 001.
Fairly clear orange/peach colour, turned cloudy once the dregs were poured. It had a thin, whitish cap that produced thick and spotty lacing. Sharp aroma, lots of tart and vinegar character. Sort of earthy with some funk, leather and lemon zest, fruit tarts even. Very smooth. Big fruity tartness in the flavour, earthy raspberry seeds, leather, a bit juicy. It did have a solid malt base, caramel and bread, but this was really there just to provide balance for the craziness. Medium to light bodied with average carbonation, just a bit of dryness. Delicious. Very smooth and balanced, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 00:34:10 | More by DrJay

HopHead84

California

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Chris and Joey for bringing Batches 2 and 1, respectively, to the tasting we had on 7/25/09-7/26/09. We found batch 1 had gone downhill a bit so I decided to focus my notes on the current better of the two, batch 2.

The beer appears hazy orange with a small fizzy white crown that recedes after a minute.

The aroma opens up with vibrant citrus in the form of lemons, orange, and apricots mixed with just the right amount of Brett. The Brett imparts a nice level of mustiness as well as a little barnyard funk. The nose has a distinct tart quality to it.

The flavor is bursting with lemon and orange with a nice medium level of tartness. Some nice Brett notes are evident, but once the Brett doesn't impart any deep funk notes like cat piss or wet horse blanket, but rather a slight musty barnyard element that seems to accentuate the soft citrus. The finish is orange and lemon with Brett, some acidity, and a lingering sourness.

The beer is light bodied with a medium level of carbonation. The mouthfeel is dry with some acidity.

The 2007 batch has noticeably declined since I last tried it. I laughed at the thought before we opened the batches side by side, but it truly is the case. The 2008 is clearly the better of the two at this point in time.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 06:33:01 | More by HopHead84

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at Port Night at Toronado the week after their 21st anniversary party. This is batch #2, the 2008 one. I had a couple. Pours a totally opaque golden with almost no head and some spotty lacing. Carbonation level was fine, though. perhaps somewhat on the soft side but entirely within a normal range. The aromas are fairly light, nut a light funkinesss comes through as a does a clean sourness and a tang of brine. The taste is much more impressive and oddly addictive. There is a delicious savory component to the beer that is hard to place, but includes a tangy saltiness that really blends well with the funkiness and sour. It reminds me slightly of sprinkling salt on crab apples when I was a kid to make the sour and tannic flavors more palatable. Their is a nice soft funkiness up-front and some mellow sourness throughout. There is a bit off butterscotch here as well and a nice jolt of tannins in the finish. Complex, intriguing, and delicious. The mouthfeel is smooth and slightly tannic. I really enjoyed this on tap, but haven't tried it from a bottle yet.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2008 23:19:37 | More by Georgiabeer

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2007 Vintage

Poured into a Carolous chalice.

Hardly any white head from the pour. Color is a very hazed orange pumpkin hued sunset color.

Aroma: very funky and sour. Notes of honey, crisp flavors. Leather, some horse blanket, and bright fruits. This beer is making my mouth water.

Taste: Very sour and funky. Horse blanket and leather. Tart cherries and fruit flavors. Sweet honey in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Very sour and tart. Mouth pukering. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends a little tart but overall, very clean.

Overall, a very nice wild ale. Nice and sour, just the way it should be. I could go for a lot more of this. A very well done sour. I hope I can try a fresh one of these in a month or so when I visit Toronado.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 00:42:25 | More by mothman

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one during the 'We Want The Funk!' tasting that was graciously hosted by beermeX2! Big thanks goes out to beermeX2 for sharing this one with the group! 2010 Vintage! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured golden yellow with a half finger pure white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma ws comprised of sweet malt, fruit, sour, and funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, sour, tart, funk, and fruit. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this brew was quite excellent. My only gripe about this one was that the flavor was quite subdued... While the flavor was great it just seemed slightly watered down compared to the other offerings I have had as of late. The aroma on this however was nothing short of excellent though. How good was this one you might ask??? Myself and Kenneyho started using it as a palate cleanser at around 2AM that morning... Definitely worth the buzz that surrounds this one. Hope to try some older vintages for comparison in the future for comparison (hint hint traders).

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 14:47:43 | More by thagr81us

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.58/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2007 vintage. Thanks to Brad for sharing this gem.

A: cloudy, straw yellow, little lacing

S: hay, barnyard funk, citrus, slight oak

T: very complex, lingering aftertaste. A great puckering sour. Not too acidic. No bitterness. I wish it was more sour, actually. Flavors blended superbly.

M: smooth and balanced, very pleasant sourness, no alcohol taste

D: A fine brew, and easy to sip, given the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 18:27:15 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage on tap at Toronado SF.

Appearance: Straw-colored, turbid and completely opaque, almost milky. The thin white head doesn't last long, receding to a ring after a few minutes.

Smell: Wonderfully funky; barnyard, horseblanket, rotten fruit, lemons. Absolutely full of funk.

Taste & mouthfeel: Sour, lemony and funky as hell. Acidity is low, and there's not a lot of vinegar-like flavors, which make this possibly the most drinkable sour beer I've ever tasted. The mouthfeel is bone-dry, and the finish is surprisingly clean.

Notes: Drank far too many of these on tap at Toronado's 21st anniversary party. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2008 18:58:21 | More by largadeer

gford217

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2009 bottle, side-by-side with Toronado 20th.

Pours a clear golden yellow with a big creamy white head that hangs on for a while and leaves good lacing.

Aroma is fairly funky with some barnyard aromas and wet grass but the most dominant aroma is the light fruity sourness. Overall, the aroma is what I'd call bright - lots of light tartness with less earthy funk.

Taste is exceptional, lemon zest up front with bready malts, some fruit, maybe pears and green apples, light vinegar. Fairly funky finish but light so with some lemon. Sublime taste, super complex, more tart than funk.

Light bubbly mouthfeel, very citric and biting. Crisp and wine-like in the finish.

This is a superb American wild - well balanced but still nice and sour. I wouldn't put it in the same class as the T20, but it's still a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 00:25:29 | More by gford217