The Meddler - Odell Brewing Company

wethorseblanket

California

3.98/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to DenverBeerDrinker for this. Bottle # 14019-12.

A: Pours a dark brown with reddish edges under a 1-finger thick off-white/tannish head which fades slowly to the rim and cap leaving spotty lace.

N: Tannic oak wood, dark fruits and berries, some mild acetic notes.

T: Slightly sour oak wood along with dark cherry pits, Slightly sweet and astringent.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Finish is somewhat sour with lingering tannins.

O: Nice and well balanced Flanders style.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:15:43 | More by wethorseblanket

phishsihq

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Meddler is and oud bruin style ale from Odell Brewing Company. The beer pours a very dark, nearly black, opaque brown color and is capped with a khaki head that provides tons of lacing. Aromas of sweet
chocolate, vanilla, a lactic acid blend beautifully. On the pallet that sweet malt flavors again dominate, with a tartness pulling through the end. Medium-full in body, this brew features a higher level of carbonation. A fantastic brew!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:25:38 | More by phishsihq

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.78/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark, opaque brown with a frothy bone white head that settles around a finger and a half. The nose is tart with hints of white grapes, green apples, definite woody characteristics, hints of chocolate, prunes, raisins and some musty, funky scents and maybe just a hint of almonds. The taste is really interesting. Its very similar to the nose but the fruits are very forward. Green apples, sour cherries, white grapes, plums, grape juice, hints of brown sugar and vanilla, there's a bit of spice to it like clove or cinnamon but not the flavors so much as the spice feel. There's a slight note of chocolate and oak for just a moment before sour apples overtake again. The fruit flavors make your mouth water, its pretty interesting. The mouthfeel is medium to light. This is an awesome beer. Odell is another one of those companies who has every day beers that are just "meh" but their specialty releases are amazing.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 17:57:16 | More by DonDirkA

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.41/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Among sours, Oud Bruin may not be my favorite style. But Odell knocks this one out of the park. It's sour, of course, but perfectly balanced with strong, but mellow oak. Not only is this a delicious beer, but it's a solid gateway beer for those wine drinkers out there who don't think they like beer (I have brought it to parties and watched it work magic).

Another great beer from Odell, and they even manage to carbonate this one (looks sternly at Hiveranno and Woodcut #5).

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 04:25:19 | More by DaveAnderson

King_KongDCO93

Minnesota

4.01/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Dark amber with vigorous carbonation upfront. about 1/2inch of off white head.

S: Has a strong pungent sour (almost spoiled) dark fruits. Also has some some aroma of dark cherries/berries, vanilla, figs, citrus and raisins.

T: Sweet yet very tart. The aroma truly matches the taste. It has a bit of a sour apple taste with some citrus characteristics.

M: medium drinkable body but has a sour/taste feel that lingers

O: new to this style of beer; its different but good. As far as I know, not many breweries try to make this this type of beer. worth buying.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:12:58 | More by King_KongDCO93

TotallyHosed

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The cork blew without any help -- POP! After staring at a snail paced gusher for a second, poured into a tulip which formed an aggressive khaki foam crown. The head gently receded into a one-eyed veil. The color is such a dark brown that no light is allowed through. I didn't know it was brown until I reached the end of the glass.

The nose is full of sour cherries and tart plums. The wood is very difficult to detect, but overall the smell is inviting.

Upfront I taste sweet malts, followed by a tart bite that doesn't linger. The flavor finishes dry and offers some wood character.

The creamy feel is sublime, with pleasant carbonation.

This is an enjoyable example of the style. The tart flavors are aggressive, but do not overpower others. My palate does not resonate with the sweet flavor and smell that this brew offers. My favorite aspect is the velvet feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 21:31:12 | More by TotallyHosed

BeerNFoodDood

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Meddler

This beer pours a dark plum purple, near black color. Pours a pretty nice two finger head that is a caramel tan.

The nose consists of sweet dark fruit that is tangled in with lactic acidity. There is some oak on the nose but not overpowering. Definitely some blueberries and currents on the nose as well.

There is a lot of oak on the first taste. A little too much oak even for me. I taste more fruit on the second go at it. Lots of blueberries and lactic intermingled with a smoky maple flavor. Pretty complex taste, needs to lose a little oak.

Overall pretty good for an american shot at Oude Bruin, maybe not worth the price tag but good.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:55:52 | More by BeerNFoodDood

Kenye

4.48/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle corked and caged. This is my first real sour, we don't get many of them out here.

Appearance - A beautiful dark brown pour, hints of red shining through around the edges of the glass. A nice off-white head that slowly dies down and leaves a ring around the glass. 4.5/5

Smell - It smells a lot like a wine. You can smell the vinegar-like sour, as well as fruits. Tart cherries, grapes, and apples. I love this smell! 4.5/5

Taste - The taste follows the nose. It tastes like a wine and a beer had a baby. A wine with a malt backbone if you will. Nice lip puckering sour, and the alcohol is well balanced. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel - Nice and bubbly! It keeps it from lingering around too long. It lingers on the palette shortly, and the carbonation keeps it moving along. Wonderful. As soon as I finish a sip I want more! 4.5/5

Overall - I am a bit Odell fan, I'll admit it. I think almost everything they do is very good. I think they deserve much more respect nationwide. Far superior than a certain other brewery that occupies the same city. This sour is no exception. I was easily able to finish this 750 mL bottle by myself very quickly, and I'm half-entertaining going to get the other one in the fridge. The nice thing is I can do that, because this beer is just sitting on the shelf here! Trade for this, if you can't pick it up locally. It won't require anything fancy to get, and you won't be disappointed! 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 18:33:04 | More by Kenye

SoundDude

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I wasn't sure what to expect as I'm that experienced with this style of beer. I wanted a growler of something different so I gave it a try. The pour is a beautiful tawny color with a nice 1-2 finger head. The head reduces to a ring that tracks its way down the glass. The nose is at first somewhere between slight vinegar and a old tawny port. The initial taste is "what just hit me"? It's a complex taste that's going to take a bit to sort out. The first thing I taste is the sour, It hits my taste buds and wakes them up. It is not an overpowering sour, but it is the first thing I notice. Next there's a fruity zest in the equation. Tart berries, maybe a touch of red wine. The aftertaste is very pleasant and asks for more. I would definitely buy this again.

Serving type: growler

12-29-2012 21:03:50 | More by SoundDude