Brett & No Mices - Westbrook Brewing Co.

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Got this as an extra in a trade with [I think] DoubleSunshine. Thanks!
Shared with a few folks at a recent tasting.

Medium amber color, with a foamy white head that left some lacing on the glass. In the nose, some bready malts and yeasty funk, slightly vinous. Taste of sweet bready malts, light fruity essence, grape and mild cherry, leather and earth, brett imparting a little funk. Body was about medium, carbonation was moderate. A good melding of flavors, yet nothing intense going on. Kind of walked the edge of a few different styles here, but overall it was an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 10:17:57 | More by Rifugium

oline73

Maryland

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

The beer pours a cloudy reddish amber color with a layer of off white head that fades away rather quickly. The nose is full of funky brett with a mild wine note. The taste is quite funky and full of brett, but this beer is hardly sour at all. I'm getting some wine and lots of oak. The finish is really dry. I really enjoyed the oaky notes and thought the wine was a nice touch.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 19:37:56 | More by oline73

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a super hazy toffee color with a pretty thick off white head.

Smells of brett, vinous white wine character/grape.

Taste is big brett, some mildly sweet honey or flower character, white grape and other light fruit.

Lots of carbonation, nice full mouthfeel.

Really solid bretty sour, not super acidic, good balance of sweet backbone and brett funk.

8.0/10

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:10:42 | More by AlexFields

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This poured out looking like a reddish color, The head was white, it had a thin retention and no lacing. The smell of the beer was earthy and not very sour on the nose. I expected it to be much stronger. The taste of the beer was decent, mostly has the grainy malt base with a very subtle barrel aged flavor in there. The mouthfeel of the beer was smooth, very drinkable, dry in the finish. Overall this beer was decent, I wasn't really getting into this one too much. It was good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 19:16:41 | More by Knapp85

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Growler from Charleston Beer Exchange just after the 4th of July. Amber with tan head. Dry earthy funk and mild leather. Some citrus peel. Flavor is very dry and leathery. Nice integration. Slightly bitter.

Serving type: growler

01-09-2013 03:14:22 | More by Thorpe429

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into a glass.

A: Amber/golden color with a tiny white head.
S: Smells amazing. Lots of wine and brett aromas.
T: Lots of brett again, tasted a lot like wine. Lots of fruity, funky flavors in there.
M: Medium body and decent carbonation. A bit of dryness.
O: I really enjoyed this beer and would recommend it to anyone. Even my non-beer drinking friends seemed to enjoy the wine characteristics in there.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 21:57:38 | More by standardcherry

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Sweetwater mini-snifter.

Wait, there's Brett but there ain't no Mices? Dammit... Anyway, this stuff pours a cloudy sunset amber topped by a finger of sandy off-cream foam. The nose comprises lemon zest, light clove, and a healthy amount of Brett-y funk. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some mild sourdough and even more funk. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a nice, Brett-y BPA. Good times. Straight up.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:06:20 | More by TMoney2591

Florida9

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy dark tan in color. Forms a smallish off-whitish head. Very light lacing. Aroma is full on Brett: pineapple and tropical fruit with a wheats, somewhat tart-sour quality. Taste is lightly sweet, grainy, and, for lack of better words, quite Bretty. Lighter bodied. Heavier carbonation. A very nice Brett-forward beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:46:04 | More by Florida9

homebrew311

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is gold and clear with a collar of head. The nose is Brett heavy with plenty of funk, lemon, and oak. The taste is mildly tart up front with
A nice amount of Brett funk with a clean and refreshing finish. Mouthfeel is modestly carbonated with light body. Overall, a very nice Brett beer. Plenty refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:45:37 | More by homebrew311

jsanford

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours amber-gold with a thin white head that fades to a very slight ring. Big aromas of red wine and earthy Brettanomyces dominates, along with some orange peel, light grain, and floral hops. So nice, and the Brett has aged perfectly. Taste is similarly Brett-heavy, with more red wine, oak, vanilla, and earthy funk. Mouthfeel is crisp and dry, with a medium body and solid carbonation. Excellent beer from Westbrook, love seeing things like this make it out of the barrel room!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 01:59:41 | More by jsanford

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml into a Duvel tulip, from Calton. Thanks!

Hazy, opaque ruby red with a one finger head. Pretty foamy head that sticks around for a few sips, then into a ring of foam

Unripe strawberries with vinous notes, and some sweet waffer malty backbone. A touch of earthy funk as well Similar to a white zinfandel but with a funky, beer twist.

Again, unripe strawberries and slight funk with vinous notes. Does not deviate from the nose much at all.

Ultra smooth and medium body. Not much carbonation at all.

Good, some what unique fruity notes with a solid wild ale profile. It's not ultra complex but I do have to say tasty. Glad I got to try it, thanks Calton!

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 01:54:12 | More by auroracrisis

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by myself during BRoss242’s send-off party before he moves! Will miss you man! Served from growler into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a deep red-orange with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, funk, earth, and sour. The flavor was of sweet malt, cherry, funk, and earth. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I was really looking forward to this one ever since I first heard about it going into barrels to age with the Brett. I have to say that it turned out quite well. The Brett definitely was the star of the show and made this known throughout the glass. Everyone who tried the growler at the tasting agreed as well. Definitely a well done brew that is worth trying for any fan of that pure Brett flavor.

Serving type: growler

09-04-2012 11:31:02 | More by thagr81us

Treebs

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Mike (mikeincharleston) for sending this my way. Shared at my buddy's engagement party. 750 ml bottle served in a mini tasting glass. Bottles June 1, 2012.

A: Hazy dark apricot color with an off white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a bubbly ring that leaves some splotchy lace.

S: Definite red wine up front. Dark grapes with some light funk and mild oak as well. The slightest bit of grassy hops are present, but faint.

T: Retrained red wine flavors with sour grape skin, funk and mild yeast. The finish is slightly malty and sweet.

M: Medium to light bodied with a nice carbonation level and a smooth, drying finish.

O: The red wine barrel definitely dominated the nose, but it was more restrained in the taste which allowed more of the other flavors to shine.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 19:43:41 | More by Treebs

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a pint glass (I know, I know) at cellar temperature.

L – Hazy medium amber color with a big 4-finger cream-colored pillowy head. Very good retention and really nice lacing. Lots of bubbles from what I can see.

S – There are the definite tell-tale aromas of funky Brettanomyces and acetic Lactobacillus/Acetobacter along with red wine, oak, grapes, and apples. Smells really, really nice.

T – An amalgam of red wine, funk, vinegar, and oak flavors. Tastes pretty good but not nearly as complex or layered as the aroma suggests.

F – Medium-bodied with good carbonation, a fizzy and tart mouthfeel, and a very dry and tart finish. Sour acidity lingers for a nice amount of time.

O – This is a pretty good sour beer. I was very impressed at the onset with the appearance and the aroma being great. Because of this, I was expecting more from the taste. The aroma had a lot going on that didn’t appear at all in the flavor. Still, this is a nice and drinkable beer. I have yet to have a Westbrook beer that I don’t like.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 23:04:45 | More by BlackBelt5112203

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy garnet-infused amber color; the inch of foam leaves some splashy lacing behind

Smell: Bready, with vague pear aromas, some barnyard funk; vinous oaky elements become dominant

Taste: The impact of the barrel overwhelm from the start adding a sherry-like character that, when combined with the bread, pear and yeasty phenols leads to a barnyard of funk; nuts and sherry return in the finish, which is very dry

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very unusual flavor profile; I'm not sure that the wine barrels really helped this beer but it is worth a try

Serving type: growler

07-20-2012 20:08:58 | More by brentk56