Plan B - Perennial Artisan Ales

JustinMatthew

Pennsylvania

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

A collaboration beer brewed at Perennial with Half Acre and bottled "1/2012". Landed this one as part of a recent trade with my buddy Andrew out in St Louis. Thanks.

Into a Victory tulip glass.. Pours a darkish brown with a thick tan head. Smell dosent pack a punch but what I can gather is some Belgian yeast, and Candied brown sugar. The taste is very unique, It didn't exactly blow me away but it wasn't like anything I'd tasted before. The currants come through well, Some coffee, nuts, brown sugar and light grain. Not picking up on anything "sour" despite the sour mash, Nice carbonation and Glad to try any thing Half Acre is involved in. I've become a big fan of Perennial thanks to my friends in the mid west.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 19:31:42 | More by JustinMatthew

tdmccarthy

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +3%

03-24-2013 01:23:11 | More by tdmccarthy

mobius387

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +9.9%

01-31-2013 17:40:55 | More by mobius387

Gretlawn

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

01-26-2013 22:22:36 | More by Gretlawn

evilcatfish

Missouri

3/5  rDev -17.6%

12-29-2012 21:31:35 | More by evilcatfish

wethorseblanket

California

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle dated 1/2012.

A: Pours a dark brown with crimson highlights under a quarter inch thick fine tan head which slowly fades leaving spotty lace.

N: Yikes! Earthy mushrooms, dark fruit, bready yeast. Somewhat unpleasant.

T: Whew, dark currants, yeast, slight chocolate and coffee, some nutty notes and a slight metallic quality.

M: Moderate body and carbonation. Slightly sweet and yeasty finish.

O: Well, gave this a second try and still not thrilled.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:42:01 | More by wethorseblanket

shand

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a chalice.

Plan B pours out a very deep brown with a small head. The aroma is interesting, it's yeasty, chocolatey, tart, and sour. The taste is tart and fruity at first, with more sour aspects coming through on the finish. Some of the chocolate comes through too, along with some roasted malts. Unique and tasty. The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and medium-bodied, with a dry finish. The drinkability is pretty good. Overall, this is an enjoyable sour Belgian strong ale with a strong fruit component. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 03:41:46 | More by shand

thewimperoo

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

07-31-2012 17:59:57 | More by thewimperoo

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice take at a BSDA with black currants

Presentation: 750 ml brown capped bottle. Brown label with the name of the brew made by tape coming from an audio cassette. Notes bottling on 1/2012, and 8.0% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Dark brown pour, fair frothy head, medium to low retention, fair surface memory and small touches of lacing.

S - Good nose with a fruity and yeasty sense insinuating malt.

T - Malty, soft fruity sweetness, black currants come through with some acidity but flowing well as it goes back to some yeasty Belgian touches.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation, and a slightly acidic touch. Rather direct and constant in its flow.

O - Nice flow with a fruity sense, bordering on a tiresome hint but never crossing there.

Notes: Glad to try it, not sure about the nature of the collaboration, and while nice it is not that remarkable. Good quality brew in any case.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 13:17:23 | More by Daniellobo

Florida9

Illinois

3/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very dark brown in color but still a little translucent. Forms a thin light tan head, though it's not much more than a surface coating. Very light lacing.
Aroma is borderline offensive: metallic and vegetal. Thankfully the flavor is much better with notes of dark malts, dark fruit, a slight bit of coffee, and something approaching sourness. Medium bodied with a slightly slick feeling to it. Mild bitterness. Overall this beer is off and something just isnt right with it.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 03:12:43 | More by Florida9

homebrew311

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: dark brown, minimal tan head, no lacing

S: nose is rather vegetal which is pretty gross for the style, some fruit skin is present and a touch of metallic character

T: taste has earthy character with a considerable amount of fruit which provides a bit of tang and spice, better than the nose, very unique

Mf: light body, high carbonation

O: overall, the word I would use to describe this is weird. Lots of sweetness along with some veggie quality... Not delicious

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 03:03:41 | More by homebrew311

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Fountainhead. Served in a goblet. Apparently this is named after a Huey Lewis record that was played ad nauseum at Half Acre, and not the popular birth control option.

A - Creamy tan foam settles to a near-complete cap, leaving behind a few spots of lace. Very dark brown with ruby highlights.

S - Smells oddly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? There's a vaguely metallic dry roasted nut sharpness, mixed with jammy sweet malts, and a hint of tangy sourdough bread.

T - Taste is a bit sweeter, with sweet, jammy currants dominating mid-palate before giving way to roasted nuts and dusty cocoa powder.

M - Smooth texture, medium-full body, with present but medium-low carbonation. Some dry roastiness in the finish. Alcohol is well-hidden.

D - A very unique and strangely enjoyable flavor profile. I enjoyed this significantly more than Small Animal Big Machine, and I'd drink it again, but that merely means that it's 'good'.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 21:44:16 | More by MasterSki

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown with a reddish hue around the edges. Minimal rusty brown colored head.

The currants really pop in the scent along with blackberry. There's a touch of chocolate and the aroma reminds me of a port.

There's a nice tartness to the flavor along with some bready malts and dark fruit. Unfortunately, there's a musty cardboard aftertaste that's off-putting.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with some prickly carbonation.

This was a decent beer, but the musty aftertaste was a major drawback for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 01:56:58 | More by Vonerichs

Beezee

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +3%

04-21-2012 13:44:59 | More by Beezee

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Thanks to wethorseblanket for sharing this one at jmgrub’s tasting.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, toasted nuts, and some slight fruity aromas. Taste the same with a somewhat tart dark fruit presence. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the tartness is a bit weird.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:33:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

AndrewK

California

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

04-15-2012 23:36:24 | More by AndrewK

drewone

California

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

04-15-2012 23:34:08 | More by drewone

Tone

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of an off-tan color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of roasted malt, slight sweet malt, hint of coffee, hint of hops, and a hint of smoke. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of alcohol, hint of sour, slight roasted malt, slight sweet malt, hint of syrup, and a hint of juniper. Overall, good appearance, great aroma, good body, and blend.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2012 13:57:22 | More by Tone

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a small, tan head of foam. It was short-lived and left minimal lacing.

S - The aroma of currants really came through with some sour funkiness.

T - It tasted tart and sour. There was a touch of nuttiness that I didn't expect.

M - It was crisp, sharp and had a slight puckering bite. A medium bodied ale with a clean finish.

O - This is an interesting beer. The use of currants really comes through in aroma and taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 01:46:50 | More by zeff80

paxchristi

Missouri

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-25-2012 16:59:04 | More by paxchristi

birchstick

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black in color with a white head. Nose is sweet fruits and candy malts. Taste is nice, with sugary malts uP front and through the middle. A bit of a berry vinous flavor shows up and is rounded off with some currant spicy sweetness. Mouth is smooth and full. Really solid brew here. I wish the nose was better, bit the palate delivers. I have had this a couple of times and like more each time I try it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2012 20:49:22 | More by birchstick

fo1ksguitar

Missouri

4/5  rDev +9.9%

02-26-2012 17:32:26 | More by fo1ksguitar

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a near black with creamy head, retains for a bid. some lacing draped around the glass.

heavy on the belgian yeast. lots of bread, yeast, and banana.

taste is much different, in a good way. nice sweetness, light tartness from the black currants. deep in the back is the belgian back bone.

body is moderate, feels a bit light. carbonation fills this out and brings it to life.

very pleasant. the black currants worked out great. i typically am not into belgian darks but i am a sucker for black currants, glad i checked this out.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 20:04:32 | More by hooliganlife

jhighlandbrewing

Illinois

3/5  rDev -17.6%

02-21-2012 03:23:23 | More by jhighlandbrewing

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

02-21-2012 01:17:31 | More by bsuedekum