Saboteur - Odell Brewing Company

kkrez

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

from notes:

The latest from Odell’s Single Serve Series, Saboteur is a rarity that you do not want to pass up. They brewed a monster chocolately brown ale, added some brettanomyces for the secondary fermentation and through it into oak barrels to age for four months, and what an end product!

The nose smells of chocolate malt, slight barnyard funk, smoke, vanilla, and oak.

The taste has a lot of the same and more. Every sip brings on something new. The huge chocolate malt and the light brett funk play off each other harmoniously. The 10% alcohol is hidden beautifully.

The mouthfeel is perfectly heavy, and slightly creamy.

This is one of the best uses of brettanomyces in a beer that I’ve had, not too funky, not too tart or sour, just perfect. Big cheers to Odell for pushing the envelope and trying something new.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 18:59:00 | More by kkrez

motorhed

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle obtained from local shop. Stored in cellar for about 2 months prior to consumption.

A - Very dark brown, nearly black color with a darker-tan head. Overly carbonated, on first pour, it filled the entire tulip with head - disappointing.

S - First thing on the senses is the spices, almost Belgian. Mild brett, smells of aged (oak?) wood and sweet and sour going on.

T - This beer was definitely interesting. Starts sweet with lots of flavor from the dark fruits, in the middle i tasted oak and spice, then it a tart finish via the brett. Not overly sour but a nice balance with the other flavors.

M - Medium body with WAY too much carbonation. My bottle was a bottle bomb. As soon as i took the cork out, it overflowed then on the first poor it was 99% head. Something went wrong here with this bottle....I've seen highly carbonated brews, this beat them all by a mile.

O - I have higher expectations for Odell. While i enjoyed the beer, it was let down by the mess it made all over my table, glass, and sink. The over-carbonation of this beer is an issue, or at least in my case it was. The flavors of the beer and the style of what they were going for with this brew, they did well - i commend them for that. I've had a lot of top-notch brews from Odell and i was expecting the same from this however i cant say i was thrilled with it. Beware the carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 18:05:27 | More by motorhed

MenloBeer

California

4.63/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked it up on a recent trip to the Four Corners Area. We were near Durango because of the cliff dwellings.

A - A beautiful dark brown beer. Moderate lacing, with a classic tan head to top it all off.

S -Brett is immediately apparent; the sour-sweet smell is inescapable. Oak from the aging progress shows up, as do some of the malty grains. There's a distinct biscuit aspect to this beer, but the spice presence is front and foremost.

T - I thought this beer was pretty good. Brown, but not overly sweet -- because of the the brett addition. It was not sour in terms of a typical brett-infused brew, but the inoculation was evident. A little sweet, somewhat milky. I liked it.

M - Medium body, not overly carbonated.

D - Drinkable, and special. This is a beer that I saved for the holidays, and I ended up sharing it with a few folks. Everyone loved it.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 01:09:07 | More by MenloBeer

Hoser77

Nebraska

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bottle poured into New Belgium globe glass.

A-Pours a deep mahogany brown with ruby red accents. Cloudy, nearly opaque. Dense, rocky, tan head. Four fingers in depth and persists with Belgian lace clinging to glass.

S-Aroma is very complex and funky. Get initial lactic sourness followed by pineapple and tropical fruit blended with dark cherries, raisins, and currants. Faint earthiness and spice. Very little malt and oak in the aroma. No hops to speak of.

T-Taste is as complex as the aroma. Wide array of fruit flavors (similar to above). Faint chocolate and roast aromas at the end to complement the fruit. Slight hop bitterness. Little to no hop flavor, which is appopriate. Slight oaky, tannins of vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut. Balanced.

M-Despite the Brett, it is very chewy and full. Starts of sweet, but finishes tart and twangy at the end. However, it is not mouth puckering or astringent. Appropriate carbonation.

D-I am just getting into sour beers, but this is a very good, complex, easy drinking example of an American Wild Ale. Despite the 10.0% ABV and bottle size I could easily drink 4-5 pints of this without realizing it! Very smooth and refreshing!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 03:42:25 | More by Hoser77

ChBass

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got a bottle from Goebel's in Wichita.

Beer is a near-pure clear brown with orange highlights. Heavy, heavy lacing sticks all around the glass. Nice looking beer.

The nose is that of a yeasty brown ale, with hints of plum. very little hints of Brett in the subtle smell.

The taste is sweet with some roasted malt & dark fruity flavors, followed by the oak barrel, and finishing with the clean tart provided by the Brett. It's a 3-act play: Brown Ale, Oak, Brett. Higher points simply for its complexity.

Mouthfeel is nice & light, with considerable carbonation, but nothing special.

Overall, I'm liking this beer more and more as the bottle goes on, but hopefully that's not from the 10% ABV... Good, complex beer with a subtle use of Brett.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:04:15 | More by ChBass

CrossFitAlex

Wisconsin

4.8/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I had this at The Muddy Pig in Saint Paul, MN.

The beer is a dark brown color with almost no light penetration. A beautiful beer.

Tasting notes - Nutty. Pineapple and fruity nose. Low carbonation; a decent sour bite. Filling with good mouthfeel. Alcohol is present. Nutty flavors and sour brettanomyces balance great! Farmhouse feel.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2010 23:50:10 | More by CrossFitAlex

melliott2811

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saboteur Brett Barrel Brown Ale

"Intense earthy undertones. And notes of vanilla and pineapple come together with a sour silhouette. Aged in American oak barrels."

My second (third?) tasting of this beer. First was on tap in sampling glass. This review is of 22oz bottle poured into SanTan brewing specialty glass.

A: Thick, dark pour with an inch of smooth creamy head that sits atop the beer through the duration of the tasting, accenting the rich mahogany color of the beer and goading you into taking another sip.

S: The sweet aroma of this beer wafts out as the cork is removed from the bottle, hitting you with fruity notes from the pineapple. Once in the glass, the fruitiness no longer overpowers you and the oak comes into play along with the caramel malts.

T: The vanilla was not prominent for me in aroma, but comes into play when tasting. I'm glad it sits more in the background; too many beers these days overwhelm with vanilla if they deign to use it. Sourness of the Brett blends with the pineapple and oak to give a different type of sourness and to mask the 10% alcohol (yeah, I think the booze barrels actually help hide the alcohol of this one). As you swallow the beer, the sourness slowly follows, trickling down your throat and leaving you with a mellow dark malt & vanilla flavor.

M: The intriguing flavor profile and medium body combine with just the right tingle of carbonation to provide a well-rounded mouth feel. Leaves me feeling a little boozy, but that is understandable as the beer has high ABV and lingers on the tongue for a moment after swallowing.

D: By far my favorite offering from Odell. Wonderful color and flavor arouse the senses and expand the palette. Not a typical beer. Good for long sessions as well as samplings and lunch/dinner pairings. I don't agree with pairing with cheese though.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 19:47:53 | More by melliott2811

Clarkbar

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Great brew served in a tulip on tap. I would second the comments about being surprised by aroma, drinkability and desire to order another. I would disagree with the comments about the ABV being obvious, on the contrary seemed rather integrated. Compared to the aromas of a lambic (where I was preparing myself) and what was in the glass it was a great brew with dark oak, coco/chocolate, spices. I didn't rate the smell as high because the aroma and taste were on opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm intrigued by the ability to make that happen, but can't go 5 because I like the aromas to prep my tongue for what's next. Finish was great - definitely lasting and styled close to a porter or stout for my palate.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2010 04:34:06 | More by Clarkbar