Squatters 529 - Utah Brewers Cooperative

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #61 (Feb 2012):

LOOK: Hazed rusty brown

SMELL: Lemongrass, tart cherries, nutmeg, rose water, mint, shortbread, melon rind, musty, vinous, medicinal

TASTE: Smooth, slick, bone-dry, tart, oak, cherries, yeast, biscuity, brown malt, wild herbs, lemony, musty cellar, broth, long finish

We've been funkified! Lacto, Pedio and other wild beasts sat in a barrel with this beer for 529 days, and it shows! So complex and interesting. A damn fine example of the sour beer movement that’s currently tempting palates in the US today.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 17:41:19 | More by BeerAdvocate

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.26/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip.

3.75 A: Well hazed plum color. One finger of frothy beige head that retains fairly well and leaves a short ring of lacing.

3.25 S: When I first took a whiff of this, I wasn't getting much. So I let it warm up...a lot. Even then, there wasn't enough aroma. It smells like how I imagine a Flanders beer would smell if it wasn't given enough time for the bugs to do their thing. Very little in terms of acidity, but what is there is acetic-centric. About the same level of funkiness - mild and I dare say insufficient, but pleasant nonetheless. This beer is decidedly flowery, which is something I'm not used to in the style, but it works. Plum, currant, mixed berries, and white grape fruitiness. Hints of vanilla and oak. Again, not bad, but lacking power.

3.5 T: The taste has the same problem as the nose - lacking strength. That said, the flavors are good, but there's no real focus. Mildly acetic, mild wildflower and apple orchard funkiness with a bit of rotting wood. Fruits listed in the nose. Vanilla and oak come out a bit stronger in the taste. There's a good balance here, but there's just not enough flavor. I haven't had many beers in recent weeks, so I trust my palate more than ever right now.

2.5 M: This is the worst aspect of the brew. It's a bit too thin which gives a watery vibe to it. It's light to lighter medium body. The carbonation is also a bit too low and what is there is neither creamy, nor spritzy (either one is fine and at least one is necessary for me). Nothing here is even up to par.

3.0 D: Hard to put this beer at anywhere other than average. It has potential and will probably be a lot better next time if they reuse the same barrels, but it definitely needs some more body, better carbonation, and a lot more time with the bugs.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:31:51 | More by DavoleBomb

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.29/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks again to StonedTrippin for sharing this treat with us. We cracked the cage and cork on a bottle labeled 11/12, pouring a golden tawny brew. It held a one and a half finger tall head of creamy eggshell colored bubbles, showing nice retention, and leaving spots of lacing and ridges around the glass. The head was easily reproducible with a swirl. Punctate sediment was noted through the cidery haze of clarity, with carbonation appearing moderate. The aroma gave an enchanting mix of oak and chicory warmth, smooth sourness and funk of Bretty yeast, amber and red malt base, and puckered fermented cherry. As the beer opened up, it became more complex with floral and citric hop bite and sweetness, along with sweetly toasted cornbread, and raw sunflower seeds. Our first impression was that this beer was no nonsense, and that the sweetness was done to just the right degree. As we sipped, you hit a solid wall of oak. You eventually break through with immediate funk and tart punch from the yeast, green apple acetaldehyde, vinegar acidity, and pale, caramel, and reddish malts. The middle came to a peak with full, juicy, Bretty yeastiness to pucker. This decimated the palate, finally allowing malty and lightly hopped sweetness to carry us to the finish, where the hops gave grass, nectars, and muddled citric sweetness, and a more raw caramel sugariness. The yeast did, however, stay on board, giving further intense juiciness to the back, while the stark wood countered. The aftertaste breathed of warm and toasty caramel, red, and paler malts, big oakiness, Bretty goodness, light coininess, black licorice, baker’s yeast, and the faintest smoky, meaty warmth. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium. Each sip gave nicely soft slurp and sip, with great froth, cream, and pop on the back. The mouth was coated and oily, with eventual pucker of the yeast, and light dryness from the barreling. The abv was appropriate, and the beer sipped very well.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its easiness and drinkability for the style. Starting from the aroma, from the very beginning things started out well blended. You get pretty much all the components at once, offering immediate complexity, depth, and warmth through all of the solid woodiness, sourness, and maltiness. I actually had to remind myself to take sips every now and again, in between having my nose constantly to the bottom of the glass. The flavoring followed beautifully, but was unique for the style in the sense of how clean it was. There was just enough residual dextrin sweetness to balance the immense pucker and bite of not only the yeast, but of the wood too, without tipping the scales in the overly malty direction. The soft slurp helped to ease some of this bitterness as well, making it undeniably palatable. This is a fantastic, well-blended beer, and we are so grateful to have gotten to drink it.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 17:01:14 | More by TheBrewo

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

a solid beer. post drinking reflection on this leads me to remembering its smell as its best feature. although there is a sexy semitransparent reddish color and oatmeal tinted inch of head, all I can think about is the nose, which was just so sour, acidic, and welcomed. been saving this one for just the right occasion, and finally it came today. id call this more of a Flemish red than an oud bruin, but whats it really matter? the nose is dry red malt, bacterial yeasts, and a sour cherry or raspberry touch that's more jammy than fresh fruit. plenty of acid in the feel, its obvious before any real flavor sets in, but there is plenty of oak, piquant yeast, and residual sugar in this beer. its amazing how drinkable this is, as the sourness doesn't suck all the moisture out of your mouth like some, and the fruit is way way back there, like you have to dig to find it. maybe a little too acidic in terms of feel, but the carbonation is right on, and at just past 7% abv, I could comfortably drink this all day. I think an exemplary version of the Flemish red style, so interesting that its listed otherwise, but that happens. nose is its best feature, but sensational all around. if squatters had better distribution this would be world renowned. nearly full marks.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:23:26 | More by StonedTrippin

StarRaptor

California

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-07-2013 04:37:46 | More by StarRaptor

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

02-20-2013 03:01:41 | More by t0rin0

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Vintage 11/12 bottle served at Squatters Brewery.

A: pours a crisp, dark, clear red. Translucent. Not much head. Settles to fizzy ring.

S: Tart,cherries, wild yeast gives strong funk smell. Oaky smells

T: Follows the nose. Strong tart. Oaky. Sweet 4.5

M: high carbonation. Light body. Crisp. Dry 4.0

O: great surprise. By far the best offering from Squatters or Wasatch I've had. Very strong flavors that have an awesome complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 02:38:02 | More by Justin_Neff

KetchumSuds

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

02-04-2013 23:42:32 | More by KetchumSuds

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

01-27-2013 00:17:20 | More by Rifugium

BeerThursdays

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

01-14-2013 00:45:42 | More by BeerThursdays

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

01-13-2013 21:18:02 | More by spycow

Imstillthegman

Delaware

4.5/5  rDev +10%

01-13-2013 13:57:11 | More by Imstillthegman

codybear127

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

11-13-2012 17:20:07 | More by codybear127

bauermj

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

10-19-2012 19:46:42 | More by bauermj

Travisnin

Idaho

5/5  rDev +22.2%

09-14-2012 06:56:13 | More by Travisnin

mdvatab

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

07-01-2012 20:53:35 | More by mdvatab

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2012 18:34:02 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

bsuedekum

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%

05-09-2012 02:13:16 | More by bsuedekum

HopHead84

California

3.18/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

4/27/2012

Thanks!

A: Dark red with a finger of white foam.

S: Sweet dark cherry with light vinegar. Notes of earth and leather. Lots of plum with a little grape.

T: Much vinegar but not overly acetic. Dark cherry accompanies earth and grape. The beer becomes increasingly medicinal as I drink it.

M: Medium body and syrupy with low carbonation.

Overall: I wasn't a big fan of this one. Couldn't make up its mind between a flanders red and an oud bruin, and the medicinal fruit character was detracting.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 10:20:48 | More by HopHead84

HelgaHills

Utah

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-17-2012 17:50:42 | More by HelgaHills

Khazadum

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-07-2012 00:21:17 | More by Khazadum

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-10-2012 05:42:02 | More by imperialking

portia99

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml corked and caged bottle courtesy of Wasatch. Thanks John! Poured into a Buzzards Bay gold rimmed stemmed glass.

A - Pours a dark amber color that shows ruby highlights when held to the light. No head with only a collar that might be two or three bubbles thick. No lacing.

S - Funky...tons of barnyard. Rather tart and sour, brett, horse manure. Rather intense on the funk which I happen to like.

T - Funky, sour, and more funky. Like the aroma, lots of barnyard going on here. Rather tart with some lemon showing thru.

M - Thinnish, a bit puckering. Light carbonation that is still fizzy. Tart, yeasty, funky.

O - Good overall, missing some of the fruitiness I'd expect in the style, especially the cherry aspects, but has a nice sourness/tartness, tons of funk (which I really enjoy). Fairly simple flavor profile overall, but still very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 00:21:58 | More by portia99

Miamilice

Vermont

4/5  rDev -2.2%

12-12-2011 02:57:33 | More by Miamilice

cavedave

New York

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Major thanks are due to Bartrash for the gift of this bottle at the CdC release, and now the first beer I am tasting after nearly two weeks without beer (on Dr.'s orders). Thanks, Pete!

A cloudy, reddish brown pour is capped by a nice beige finger of foam. Beautiful mountain ranges of lace line the glass. A lively skim and ring remain in place for the whole ride.

Soft tart yeast and light wine vinegar join even lighter hints of floral and alcohol spice for a simple yet enticing aroma. No oak in the nose.

This sip starts tart, tangy, and full of sweet, grabs some vinous flavor, and spreads on the palate with a vinegary taste that is never over the top, always just right to carry, contrast, and frame the other, lighter flavors. Wine grapes and light lemon, a touch of grassiness, oak, other underflavors I cannot put a name to, all combine into a moderately complex taste that is simply delicious.

Highly attenuated and full of taste, light in the mouth, very clean flavors and a finish that is just dry enough. It has none of the vinegar buildup in the mouth some others I've tried had. Super clear out.

This is an amazing beer, as good as any of the Oud Bruins I've tried. I highly recommend it to lovers of the style, and also to those wishing to discover this style at its most easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 18:05:58 | More by cavedave