L'Brett D'Or - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

emerge077

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quick review from written notes, thanks Joe for sharing!

Murky yellow orange, peachy toned with champagne streamers rising, sheets of soft white foam lace in the glass, end of bottle pour was opaque.

Huge tropical passion fruit aromas and taste, fleshy peach pit, puckering sourness with a nicely dry finish. Light bodied and effervescent. Crisply sour and vibrant. This is a real contender, up there with Temptation to my taste. I could see the dry hop version being pretty interesting, in the same vein of Le Terroir.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:54:16 | More by emerge077

larryi86

Delaware

4.54/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to JMBSH for this!!!!
12.7 oz bottle poured to a snifter

A- A hazy golden orange color with a two finger white head.

S- Sour, some funk, light fruits, apples, apricot, oak, some white wine.

T- Very sour, lemon, apricots, nice funk in the finish, some oak and white wine, definitely has a good amount of brett.

M- Light body, ton of carbonation.

O- This is my first beer from Crooked Stave and it is great. Very sour. Could be more balanced, would like a more funk, but still a amazing beer. Again big thanks to JMBSH for this one!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:05:05 | More by larryi86

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.39/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened on 4.6.13

A - Pours a cloudy dark orange with a thin off-white head that slowly moves to the edges.

S - Strong Brett, wood and some fruitiness.

T - Brett, white wine barrels, apple-pear fruitiness.

D - Lower carbonation with a medium body.

O - Brett with a nice fruit and white-wine barrel influence. Damn Chad knows his stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:38:59 | More by HuskyinPDX

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to dunt for sharing this!

White head. Golden orange in color.

Flavor is very sour and funky. A nice grape and wine flavor. A lot of peach and apricot flavors. Funky and fruity. It ends with an odd butterscotch flavor.

Mouthfeel: sour and tart. Lighter bodied.

Overall, this is a really nice sour. Very easy to drink with a lot of awesome fruit flavors. I am a big fan of this one!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 23:51:41 | More by mothman

jvillefan

California

4.71/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: A pale yellow and hazy body with a very thick and white head.

S: Very good. Very sharp esters and sour aromas. Perfectly balanced with a subtle sweet caramel sweetness.

T: It starts off as a very pleasant sour apple flavor and then it transitions to a perfect sour caramel flavor. This should be a measuring stick for all sour beers.

M: Nice heavy body with a very sharp carbonation.

O: Amazing sour. Get this one as soon as you can.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 04:59:32 | More by jvillefan

UCLABrewN84

California

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one during the Churchill's weekend festivities.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, Brett, herbs, and a peachy fruit aroma. Taste is much the same with super tart grain and fruity flavors and an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with a nice balance between sourness and the Brett presence.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:18:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

amnesia85

Connecticut

4.73/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Chilled in fridge, pour into HF stem. thanks to my friend in CO for hooking this up!
A: cloudy golden dark-amber with a white colored 1cm head. Plenty of Co2 champagne like bubbles, very reactive and clings to the glass when agitated, responsive. Minimal lacing.

S: sour granny smith apples, white grapes, shocker candy, old dank wet wood

T: initial taste is very acidic … sour apple which leaves your tongue wanting more and more. As this beer goes down the hatch I continue to taste the powerful puckering tartness of the beer. The back end of this beer tastes like you just licked the porch after a fresh rain.

M: light mouth feel with light to medium carbonation.

O: overall I think this beer is up to par with beatification, and golden canary. The only thing that sets it apart from these 2 is the powerful oak after-punch. With some time this beer will be hard to beat side by side the competitors.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 04:46:46 | More by amnesia85

kscaldef

Oregon

4.11/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Slightly cloudy orange, with no head and minimal bubbles.

S: Lots of wine barrel character. Light acetic notes, moderate lactic. Raspberry and strawberry.

T: Moderately high tartness, mostly creamy lactic. Lots of berry fruit to the point that I'm questioning my understanding that no actual fruit was added to this beer.

M: Lowish carbonation. Extremely long linger.

O: Really, really tasty beer, although a little more carbonation would be nice. I'd love to have another bottle of this to age for a while and see if it picks up more carbonation over time. While the lactic character dominates, is has a richness and complexity that missing from, for example, most Cascade sours.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 05:53:17 | More by kscaldef

Marq18

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy honey color with a thin head. Smells of citrus- orange and some grape. The first taste is sour lemon citrus with some grape and has a dry oaky finish. Carbonation is medium with a medium body. Overall a very interesting and flavorful sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 22:06:53 | More by Marq18

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.11/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

newer one from crooked stave. pours a pale hazy yellow color with a fair bit of delicate white lace. the nose is lemony and sour apple sour, bretty and yeasty, with a very light malt profile and tons of ripe fruit. the flavor is tart all the way, a mix of green apple and lemon zest seem to be the most dominant flavors, and there is some sweetness behind the tart too, but the oaky sourness really takes control. its not quite as sour as some other crooked stave offerings, but it is a fantastic way to feature brettanomyces fermentation. could use a tad more carbonation, but the acidic sourness makes it really pop in the mouth, and the body is quite light for a beer of this complexity. its dry too, adding to drinkablity, and its mouthwatering to the point i had to order a second one. not my favorite of their beers, but certainly another distinct brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 21:40:20 | More by StonedTrippin

spoony

Colorado

4.01/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a waxed 375 ml bottle (Blend No. 1) into a tulip.

A-A normal pour produces a very thin head that drops quickly. The brew is lightly cloudy and cider-colored. There is no visible carbonation.

S-The smell is tart with flavors of sour apple and vinegar. A touch of bread/dough and mild funk, too. Not very brett-forward.

T-The taste is sour, but not mouth-puckering. I get apples, grapes, and a little lemony sweetness. It is a pleasing mixture of fruit, but not very funky or brett-forward.

M-Like many Crooked Stave beers, this one is slightly flat, but the feel is a nice match for the style. Medium bodied.

O-This is a pleasant, balanced sour beer. It is not spectacularly complex or in-your-face flavorful, but it has enough acid to work with food or drink on its own. If you want super funky brett/barnyard flavors (or a cheap beer...this one was $10 or $11 for the 375ml), look somewhere else. But if you want a nice, tart-drinking sour with good orchard fruit flavors, this is a good option.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 16:39:43 | More by spoony

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.21/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to d4radio for some CS goodness

Pours vibrant yellow with a 1-2 fingers of off-white pillowy foam. Decent retention and a little bit of lacing.

Definitely tartness on the nose. Musty white grapes, sour apple and pear with a little wheaty twang.

Very balanced flavor. Has typical brett funkiness, but also a good clean tartness to add more depth. Sour grapes and apples with a lot of drying oak and musty funk. Glad to see some tartness as I generally feel just brett/no sour is boring.

Smooth mouthfeel. Adequate but below normal carbonation. Oak and tartness create a dry finish.

Nice beer. Has good brett character, but also sourness to bring everything together. One of the better Crooked Stave beers I've had as of now.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 11:21:27 | More by jmarsh123

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A clean and clear bronze/orange pour. Nice white foam head, but settles to a collar. No lacing.

Aroma is tart apples, pear, some hints of vanilla, wood, and slight herbal spice

Flavor follows the aroma, but nothing dominates. It is well balanced with the flavors. Apple and pear might come out on top. A bit of funk and biscuit.

Feels nice. Puckery, tart, but not sour. Clean and crisp. The 375ml was perfect size...not perfect price, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:34:09 | More by Mebuzzard

denver10

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy orange-bronze with a slight translucent head that quickly dissipates. Aroma is funky, woody, and sweet. Sugared apples, a little bready, oak, hay and a slight tease of some thin vanilla. Flavor starts off nice and sour and evolves into sweet; apples, caramel, a little oak, and sugar coated hay. As it warms, a little vanilla can show itself. Medium body, some activity. Overall, this a great brew and right up there with Crooked Stave's best. They are really beginning to hit their stride. Digging the new size format for sure, not digging the price point.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:49:43 | More by denver10

purdueflyguy

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip glass.

Pours hazy golden hue with a pillowy white head that dissipated fairly quickly.

Smells of sour apple some funky carmel. Almost like an aged carmel apple. A little bit of vanilla from the oak.

Taste follows the nose but drier than expected. Huge sour taste initially followed by the apple and vanilla flavor that leads into a dry oak finish.

Feels adequate carbonation very acidic as would be expected.

Overall a great sour wild ale I am going to pick up another bottle and try again in a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:23:57 | More by purdueflyguy

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle $11.49. Dark orange color, good lace but not much head. Aroma is hints of sour beer, apples, not bad at all. Flavor is good, slightly sour, slightly sweet, apples, not much wood influence here. Mouthfeel was fine but overall I was a little disappointed by this. Its too bad to see them switch to a smaller bottle and charge almost as much as the 750ml. For $11.49 I can spend the extra fifty cents and get Supplication instead which is what I will be doing from now on. I was just starting to get a taste for Crooked Stave but they are overpriced plain and simple.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 06:00:12 | More by ArrogantB

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

L'Brett D'Or. Blend No. 1. "Surreal Golden Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels." Black label with silver text.

375ml brown glass bottle with waxed-over pressure cap served into a Gouden Carolus stem-goblet in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are below average given the brewery, which has yet to impress me.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a one finger off-white colour head of decent cream and thickness, and average retention. Little lacing. Body colour is a non-opaque hazy pale copper-yellow. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Sour apple, pale malts, oak, white wine, light sourness, crystal malt, and clean funk. Vague biscuity yeast. I don't detect any alcohol. An average strength aroma.

T: Tart sour apple, twinges of sourness, pale malts, crystal malts, a white wine undertone, vague oak, pear, and bacterial wild yeast notes. Little bretts come through; they're eclipsed by the tart sourness. As far as sours go, this isn't horrible puckerworthy, but it's a pleasant restrained sourness that might be well suited to sour novices. All around, it's a balanced and enjoyable brew. Not horribly complex, but well executed.

Mf: Nice coarseness/smoothness balance. Light dryness to bring out the flavour. Imperfect thickness and imperfect carbonation. Complements the flavour quite nicely, but it's far from custom tailored to the style.

Dr: Quite drinkable and enjoyable. Hides its ABV well. I'd have it again. Maybe Crooked Stave isn't all that bad after all. A tasty sour.

B

Drank well out of a goblet. I'd recommend a goblet or tulip.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 05:06:02 | More by kojevergas