The Auroch's Horn Aged On Rhubarb - Olvalde Farm & Brewing Company

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Olvalde The Auroch’s Horn Aged on Rhubarb

Appearance: After a long struggle with the cork, this beer poured a mostly opaque golden amber color with a brown hue. Sediment is easily visible, but the beer is unfiltered and bottle conditioned, so sediment is definitely par for the course. There is also a pleasant, yet minimal stream of carbonation off the bottom of the glass, which is directly at odds with the nearly complete lack of head. This is a good-looking beer that is above average for the style.

Aroma: There is a sweetness from the honey, which lends an almost mead-like note. As expected, clear notes of rhubarb come through both in tartness and the sweetness that comes from rhubarb pie. Yeast is there, and it comes through in a distinctively Belgian note. Alcohol is also there, just in the back of the smell. Again, the beer adheres to the style quite well, while also throwing a unique spin on it. The only problem with the aroma is the lack of complexity.

Taste: The beer is more complex in the taste than was hinted at in the aroma. There is a fantastic blending of rhubarb, biscuits, and honey sweetness, almost immediately followed up by tartness. The tartness is similar to a wild ale, but not as intense. Then the honey comes back with double the strength it initially had. The odd aspect is that, unlike most beers, there is no real bittering here. Somehow it works here. The transformative nature of the beer from sweet to tart to sweet is very interesting; if only the taste had stopped there… The alcohol that was minimal in the nose is much bigger in the tail end of the taste, and not the pleasant kind. This really seems to vary between drinks, suggesting that the beer may not be fully mixed well and/or may not be a perfect suspension. If not for the prominence of the alcohol, this beer could have been excellent; sadly, it was not to be.

Mouthfeel: The best way to describe the mouthfeel is by comparing it to a tart fruit juice. It is medium, sticky, and causes a tingle all over the mouth. The alcohol makes for that pleasant warming effect, and sort of redeems the unpleasantness it lent to the taste. The aftertaste leaves a very dry feeling in the mouth, again, mead-like. The carbonation is not near as present as it would appear; in fact, the beer is basically flat, which is really unfortunate.

Overall: While this is definitely a passable beer, it could have been so much more. That makes this a disappointment, because of the ease with which the drinker can imagine this beer being if it were just a touch better executed. Perhaps over time, Olvalde will nail this one down and create what could be a real beer to seek out; that would be a real treat for drinkers of every style preference. We can only hope. Also, the bottle is pretty large, and the sweetness gets to you over time; share this one. 15/20

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:14:49 | More by THANAT0PSIS

bsinger45

Colorado

3/5  rDev -24.4%

04-29-2013 21:37:39 | More by bsinger45

yamar68

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

***this is a review of BATCH ONE - this score does not apply to subsequent batches***

a - pours with an exciting level of head, appearance of a cider perhaps, golden tangerine with little clarity... strong sparkling head initially, dissipating almost instantaneously

s - subtle bits of tangerine, pear, think Belgian tripel, rhubarb of course

t - fantastic, it's amazing how much character the rhubarb aging brought to the table... again, tangerine... the citrus also seems to hold on a lot longer than it does in the original, essentially brought the focus from sweet to tart

m - the only body here comes from its relatively high carbonation, otherwise it drinks similar to a cider

o - yet another home run from Ovalde, I've never even heard of rhubarb being used in beer but clearly it fits the part, bravo!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 10:11:17 | More by yamar68

MNBeer1017

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

03-27-2013 01:28:47 | More by MNBeer1017

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

03-10-2013 17:08:50 | More by mendvicdog

duceswild

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.8%

03-09-2013 21:10:06 | More by duceswild

oline73

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

03-09-2013 05:32:41 | More by oline73

egrace84

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

03-06-2013 02:20:03 | More by egrace84

match1112

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%

03-06-2013 02:16:31 | More by match1112

TubbyDullard

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +25.9%

03-05-2013 20:18:24 | More by TubbyDullard

nmann08

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

03-03-2013 21:08:05 | More by nmann08

KWMiles

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +0.8%

02-25-2013 20:54:08 | More by KWMiles

yokken

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -24.4%

02-17-2013 20:33:02 | More by yokken

StarRaptor

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%

01-21-2013 17:29:26 | More by StarRaptor

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

first beer from these guys, and i have to say, while it isnt my favorite, i really appreciate the effort and direction. it pours a flatish looking apple juice gold color with a small and dwindling white head. the nose is very sweet from the honey, quite floral, as well as saison-like from whatever yeast is used here. the rhubarb provides some tartness to counterbalance the honey, but in taste the honey easily wins this tug of war. the taste a general vibe of this one is somewhere between a sweet white wine and a mead. its acidic and also very sugary. the rhubard is a nice touch, and i think does well with the yeast, but the sugar is just too much for this to be a keeper in my book. alcohol is mysteriously well hidden though, and i am a fan of the farmstead thing, local and sustainable, a product of the soil. not quite enough carbonation to keep it moving either. ill have to try other offerings from olvalde, because i have no desire to drink this again, although i am very glad i got the chance to try it because of how odd it is. any other rhubarb beers out there?

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 21:38:21 | More by StonedTrippin

Rwang

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

01-10-2013 07:40:59 | More by Rwang

thebigredone

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

12-15-2012 21:35:07 | More by thebigredone

theCoder

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

12-05-2012 14:20:10 | More by theCoder

ottodyer

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

12-05-2012 00:21:01 | More by ottodyer

hardy008

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light amber with a small white head from a heavy pout. The small head disappears quickly. The aroma has rhubarb, yeast, hay, and has a tart smell.

The taste is sweeter than I would have guessed from the aroma, and has rhubarb, honey, pale malt, and green grapes. Very nice flavor to this beer. Has a good deal of sweetness, without any balancing bitterness, but this is not a problem, since the tartness keeps the sweetness under control.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Finishes dry, and the alcohol is well hidden for 10.00% abv. A very nice beer from Olvalde I look forward to trying more of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:29:10 | More by hardy008

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

11-23-2012 09:57:09 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice beer.
A little cloudier and a little darker than the non-fruited version. Head was pretty minuscule too.
Aroma held a little fruitiness and vegetal quality with hints of the base beer, esp. the malt character, less of the yeast, in the background.
Nice tart flavor and holding onto an almost lactic quality. Never to excess and blending nicely with the malt character of the base beer. Soft flavors from the yeast.
More than effervescent but a nice smoothness.
Enjoyed this with my T-giving meal and it worked very well all around. I think I like the non-fruited version better, but the tartness was darn nice in this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 22:58:08 | More by garymuchow

kojevergas

California

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to me sister's friend for the bottle share. Reviewed live. Brown glass bottle with caged cork served into a Dick's Last Resort pilsner glass in me sister's gaff in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I don't know what to expect.

A: Pours a half finger head of beige colour, okay cream and thickness, and bad retention. Body colour is a nontransparent orange; quite murky and hazy. Yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Orange citrus, biscuity yeast, barnyard funk, honey, and lactic notes. A mild strength aroma.

T: Lactic, barnyard funky, some orange citrus, and heavy yeasty notes. Rhubarb. Tasty and crisp. Very clean and balanced, albeit simple. It's not horribly subtle, but it is tasty. No alcohol comes through.

Mf: Clean, smooth, wet, and crisp. Ideal carbonation. Good thickness.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV. A tasty little beer in the style. I quite like it; I'd have it again. That said, its simplicity holds it back. A great local beer.

B

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:29:52 | More by kojevergas

Duff27

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

11-22-2012 02:31:47 | More by Duff27

plumcrazyfx

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

11-18-2012 00:58:06 | More by plumcrazyfx