Dépuceleuse - Avery Brewing Company

craytonic

District of Columbia

1.65/5  rDev -58.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

This beer is disgusting. I have tasted many sour beers but have never encountered the "off" flavors you sometimes hear about. This one has the vast majority of them. Used diaper. Bandaid. Melted Plastic. Wet horse blanket. Used Q-tip. Funk in all the wrong ways with sweet red wine. The scores don't go low enough; I feel bad for the drain in my sink because nothing deserves a bottle of this.

Appearance is fizzy ruby-red but is completely irrelevant to what you need to know about this beer - the fact that it tastes horrible. Drinkability? My body physically recoils at the thought of another sip as I try to taste it a third time.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 03:12:22 | More by craytonic

Arbitrator

California

1.85/5  rDev -53.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. Thanks, Adam! From notes.

A: Pours a murky chestnut-orange with off-white head.

S: Smells very oaky, with a soft, buttery note to it. Tart cherry with brown sugar, red wine, and post-gym feet.

T: Buttery oak once more, with a mild lactic sourness and some tartness. Lots of brown sugar to give it a pronounced sweetness, finishing with vanilla.

M: This isn't dry at all; I'd call it underdeveloped. The beer hasn't finished fermenting.

O: Poor. This went into the drainpour bucket. There are many better American Wilds than this at this stage of the style's development. Skip.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 05:59:29 | More by Arbitrator

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Pours a clear muddy maroon color with a small dissipating head. Smell is mostly sweet cherry pit and a woody pine tree brett type funk. Sweetness is strong in the nose. Smells almost artificial. Slightly cloying cherry taste with a hint of mint. Straightforward dry brett is also dominant. I'm still getting this pine tree or bark flavor following through from the nose. It's just an odd woody flavor. Lots of other off flavors in this one too.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 17:06:39 | More by BearsOnAcid

kscaldef

Oregon

2.65/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Foams aggressively on pouring, but recedes almost as quickly. Brick-red and quite flat looking once the head disappears.

S: Cherry and earthy forest floor

T: Cherry and overripe plum, quite earthy. A little citric, but not very tart at all.

M: Very low carbonation detracts from this, leaving it too much like earthy cherry juice.

O: Bit of a disappointment, this seemed a somewhat muddy and indistinct. I think a bit more carbonation might have livened it up and brought the flavors out better.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 04:39:10 | More by kscaldef

LilBeerDoctor

New York

2.8/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 6/6/2010. Bottle. Pours a deep reddish brown with a thick light tan head. Aroma of sweet fruits, cherries, carrot?, fruit skins. Flavor of oak barrel, grapes, tart cherries, and more carrot. Very odd-tasting with carrot-oak predominance. Not sure what was up with that, but in any case, disappointed by this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 21:10:58 | More by LilBeerDoctor

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-pours a dark ruby red brownish color with tan head that fizzles away quickly.

S-the nose brings notes of bandaid up front, some brett lies lightly behind, wet blanket as well with hints of tart cherry.

T-taste similar to nose, more brett and bandaid, wet blanket, notes of oak and sweet red wine, light tart cherry and low to moderate acidity.

M-a little grainy on the palate, thiner light body, enough carbonation but a little watery.

D-the brett and thin body some to make for a seltzer water taste, not too solid for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2010 22:54:47 | More by cpetrone84

beerindex

Michigan

3/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - A deep reddish-brown with a thin tan head that quickly gives way to a fair lace.

Smell - Vinegar, pineapple juice, and unwashed ass. Hint of cherry cough syrup. After giving the beer a few minutes to settle, it the brett smell begins to dominate and mask all others.

Taste - Brett absolutely dominates, even moreso than it does in the smell. Hints of pepper and oak. Some cherry, though not sour as advertised. Beer is far more wild than sour.

Mouthfeel - Crisp and thoroughly carbonated. Leathery, but easy to drink.

Overall - Not nearly as good as Infected Black Tot, about on par with Brabant, and significantly better than Sui Generis. Drinkable, but not something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 03:25:48 | More by beerindex

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle that I bought for $8 thinking it would be like Supplication or at least Sui Generis, sadly it wasn't close. It did look a lot like Sui Generis and it had a hint of real cherries in the aroma along with a bretty aroma and a hint of sour. The taste was sour and had a slight bit of cherries but to be honest this was a real let down. It just wasn't well done and I wish I had spent the extra $4 to get a bottle of Supplication instead.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 03:22:12 | More by ArrogantB

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.18/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours an odd rosy reddish amber color, translucent and still. A fleeting finger thick white head quickly fades to nothing with no lacing. Aroma is artificial cherry jam sweetness, with a slightly abrasive acidic sour bite to them, vinegar and mild funky brett aromas. Flavor has a fleeting pure fake cherry sweet punch to start before the zinfadel barrels and brett funk take over and produce a sour cherry flavor (but not tart). Body is medium thick, mildly syrupy with light, thin carbonation. Finish is also rather thin and unpleasant blend of fake cherries and vinegar and too much alcohol.. Oddly, despite my review and scores, I did enjoy this beer, particularly if I was looking for a quick (though not cheap) sour fix. However, this is a little too hot, artificial tasting and unbalanced for my taste, so my review is relative to other beers of this style (hence the pessimistic slant).

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 02:34:43 | More by yourefragile

Beaver13

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, bottled on 3/31/10. Pours slightly hazy reddish orange with a fizzy off white head that quickly goes to a thin film.

The aroma is woody lactic pie cherries and red wine.

The flavor is sweet and tart pie cherries with a nice sour twang with some wood, red wine and maybe a little oxidation and band aid in the finish. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and a bit watery.

Overall, a decent sour cherry beer. I wonder if I hung on to it a bit long though.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 07:06:33 | More by Beaver13

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a 12 oz bottle (dated 03/31/2010) into an oversized red wine glass to capture the aroma.
A: Orange-red with brown and pink hues, it poured with a thick cream head that quickly died to a lace with constant bubbles running up it.
S: Sour cherries, brown sugar, a brett funk, oak, wine alcohol, and some chocolate.
T: Tart cherries, a sour apple backbone, bready caramel, and brett funk. It comes off like a champagne cocktail. It is kind of lackluster with a strange coffee lingering finish.
M: Sparkly and thin, again like champagne.
D: Only OK for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 04:13:57 | More by ne0m00re

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Avery Depuceleuse, 12-oz bottle bought at New Beer Dist. in Manhattan for $9. I debated long and hard before buying this, as I am no fan of sours, but I caved in to both curiosity and the scarcity of this brew. Bottled in March 2010, so over a year old.

Appearance: Depuceleuse pours mostly flat, with barely any head or retention and no lacing. Color is a very muddy and rusty copper, sort of like old port wine or sherry.

Smell: Sourness all around, and beyond. There is barely anything else in the nose but total sourness. Some spoiled wine, vinegar and crushed, green young grapes.

Taste: More sourness, a totally tart mouth. Some green apple and/or unripened kiwi. Very acidic. Brett yeast all over. This tastes like drinking sherry vinegar straight from the bottle. No hints of aging or oak.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation (almost non-existent), medium body and flavor. Dry, carboard-like finish, incredibly tart and with a hint of spice and black pepper. This would be a great pairing for Thai food.

Overall: I liked it better than I thought I would, considering I am not a fan of sours, but still this strikes me as pretty unexciting. So much more could be done with the aging and the cherries and the oak and...! Fairly drinkable, but just not very interesting, and definitely not worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 05:09:57 | More by DoubleSimcoe

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got one of these from a very generous rye726. Thanks, Ryan! This was bottled 31 March 2010

Pouring a clear, deep ruby red with a dense, beige head that falls off to a thin ring rather quite, leaving no lace, this looks decent.Great color, though.

The nose is interesting. That Brett was used is obvious, there's a rather pronounced band-aid and plastic character, and while the combination with a mellow cherry fruitiness is something I can't say I've experienced before, it's not particularly great either. Moderately vinous, I get some cherry pit character as well, a little bitter? Swirling the beer really brings out the Zin character, with a moderate leather, mild cocoa and some grape. However, this really is a Brett beer, and they'd have done well to use another strain.

Opening with a big, fruity sourness with a moderate cherry character, and some wine, this opens pretty solid. The Brett character of the nose isn't particularly strong, thankfully, this is mostly a rather straightforward sour beer. A big Pedio acidity is noticeable, along with a little acetic acid, I can see this getting a lot sourer with time. However, though, this is a middle of the road sour with a pleasant balance between the sourness and the fruit. Drying on the finish with a mild leathery, tannin character, this is where both the wine and Brett make their presence felt. Flavors of bandaid and red wine linger, making this medium-light bodied beer decent. Carbonation is high. I'm not sure why this beer needed to be 9.6% ABV, though, and that hurts the drinkability.
Adding the yeast to the pour only makes it rather worse, with the Bretty, band-aid, plastic character really coming through. Seriously, I enjoy them in a saison, but their presence in a fruited sour is particularly unappealing. In any case, though, I'm thankful for the chance to try this!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 03:23:38 | More by DefenCorps

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a reddish looking brew with out many bubbles in it. The head came and went pretty quickly. The smell of the beer was really nice I thought. The taste of the beer was very tart and sour. The barrel aging on this brew was very noticible. The mouthfeel is dry and has a light body to it. Overall I thought that this was going to be a little better but I was a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 04:04:36 | More by Knapp85

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.35/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled March 2011
A steady pour produces a two-finger thick, amber tinged, tan colored head that has some staying power but doesn’t leave any lacing. The beer is a dark, concentrated purple-red color that shows a brilliantly clear, light cherry red to gold hue when held up to the light. The beer smells of light cherry notes as I am visually inspecting this beer, but an actual look at the aroma has me noticing a tartness, a buttery oak note, a woody fresh cut wood character, some rotting fruit / ripe cheese combination, a diluted cherry fruitiness that is subtly noticeable in the finish. As the beer warms touches of phenolics / medicinal notes become noticeable in the nose.

Dry, perhaps a hint of sweetness, but more tart than anything, with a firm oakiness in the finish, a touch of buttery oak and a lightly astringent woodiness. The lactic tartness combines with the buttery oak notes, and both influence the texture, to give this a lushness in the flavor as well. This definitely has a medium’ish body to it, though it is still quite drinkable. The malt character is quite subtle, there is some oxidized hints of toasted malt and caramel that have morphed into a nuttiness and perhaps a hint of dry sherry. The Brettanomyces character here is quite subtle. This tastes more winelike than anything; there are lots of berry notes along with the subtle cherry notes and the oak definitely helps evoke the thought of an oaky red wine, though this is more like a simplistic red and not a big, powerful, complex one.

Somehow this is awfully bland, the malt character especially is quite weak, and even the cherry notes seem washed out. There is nothing bad about this beer though, it is perfectly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 22:42:47 | More by Gueuzedude

champ103

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a burnt/copper/reddish color. At first a two finger, tightly packed head forms with good retention. The foam gently recedes. Light lace is left behind.
S: A light Bretty funk up front. Juicy cherries that are slightly tart and vinous. Sweet malt with some bread and biscuit.
T: Very tart and sour cherries up front. Light funky, but almost nothing else.
M/D: A light to medium body. Overly effervescent. The tartness, alcohol, and carbonation makes this a slow sipping beer. One in a sitting is enough.

Not bad, mostly a simply cherry tartness. Overall kind of a dud in Avery's Barrel Aged Series.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 02:24:54 | More by champ103

Onibubba

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Kind of murky brown, minimal head. Pungent sour cherries, but not like sour lambic. Kind of a malty, rotten smell. It tastes a little rough too. It was interesting, and good that it was in a small bottle - a bomber would have been too much for me. Not sure if I'll be lining up for the next in the series.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 22:57:29 | More by Onibubba

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle, bottled on March 31, 2010. Served in an oversized wine glass, the beer pours a reddish/copper color with a half-inch off-white cola like head that fizzled away pretty quickly. Not much lacing either. The brew smells like cherries, vinegar, and some oak and funk. It's a good, tart aroma. The taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of a grape skin/wine flavor that gets stronger as the beer warms. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's well carbonated and dry. Drinkability is OK, it's not hard to drink and the alcohol is well hidden. I think this is an OK brew, but I don't think it's worth $8.99 a bottle. I thought their Brabant was better.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 21:57:19 | More by bluejacket74

radshoesbro

California

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a light brown with hints of yellow and orange around the edges. Barely any head, to be expected with high ABV and the style.

Smell is of sour cherries and musty wood. There is another sugary sweetness that might be from the alcohol, but I can't tell.

The taste is of dry sour cherries. The brett character is a little to high and it overpowers the cherry character. The wood is present and adds a nice flavor, but this is too dry for the fruit used.

The alcohol isn't noticeable but kills any chance of this being a sessionable beer. That with the overbearing brett kills any chance of having more than one glass of this.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 18:41:43 | More by radshoesbro

citan133

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into my Portsmouth Brewery tulip.

Pours with a nice off-white head, very fizzy-looking with a deep, dark red color. Reminds me of dark cherry soda. Nice look, a bit darker than I expected.

Smells much sweeter than anticipated. Sweet, dark cherries followed by a bit of Brett funkyness (more of an earthy, woodsy smell than the dank mustiness I'm used to) and a bit of vinegar. Definitely getting some of the wine qualities in the nose as well, pretty strong actually. Easy to tell it was aged.

I was expecting more of a kriek-type tartness with this beer, closer to a lambic but its coming across more like a Flander's red. Follows pretty close to the nose, probably the sweetest "sour" cherries I've ever tasted, the Brett is barely there in the middle, I notice it less than I'd like, and the Zin comes across really heavy in the finish, a little bit of the barrel and a slight vinegar twang mixed in as well. Alcohol is hidden well, wouldn't guess it was 9.5. Ok.

Mouthfeel is nice, getting some good prickles from the carbonation at first but as it warms the bubbles mellow out a bit. Kind of heavy and soft on the palate. Best part of the beer, I think.

I really don't want another one of these. Glad I tried it but it wasn't what I was expecting. Having no problem finishing one though and the alcohol isn't noticeable at all. Just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 14:43:31 | More by citan133

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle from a small liquor store in Longmont, CO, can't remember the price, but it was in the $8 range, I believe. Into an Odell flute glass. Bottle notes this as 9.59% ABV.

A: Pours a nice orange/amber color with a sand colored head. Nice amount of carbonation moving through the glass. Not much head retention, just a small cap of bubbles. Only a few spots of lacing as it recedes.

S: Nicely funky, definitely a brett beer, some light notes of cherries and a bit of vanilla as well. A little bit of oak. Has a sort of cherry pie smell as well, crusts and all.

T: A little bit of funk up front and just a slight bit of tartness, which was to be expected as there is no mention of lacto or pedio in this beer, simply a 100% brett fermentation. Slightly oaky and some definite white wine notes. The cherries are pretty subdued, only slightly tart, but enough to make a "fruity" presence in the beer.

M: Pretty full mouth, with effervescent carbonation, very dry and quite a bit of alcohol heat as well, not so much in the mouth but in the stomach. Just a bit hot, seems out of place in a brett beer.

D: Easy enough to drink, but a little too hot to want to drink a whole lot of it. Pretty enjoyable beer as a whole, but seems a bit lacking, I think a bit more of a cherry flavor would really make this shine. It will be interesting to see how the other bottle continues to age.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 21:36:47 | More by pokesbeerdude

ikats

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear, ruby red in color with a slightly brown 1/4 inch (after a fairly vigorous pour) head that dissipates quickly. Not a lot of carbonation. The smell is tart full of sour cherries, but not overpowering. Alcohol becomes a little evident as the beer warms up. The taste is not as tart as I expected. I'm having a hard time pinning down the taste profile. Wine barrel maturation seems to subdue brett and sour cherries. The first impression is semi-sweet wine. Tartness lingers behind. Fairly drinkable especially considering the strength. A bit too flat.

Interesting experimentation. Not disappointed, but not floored either. Bottled on 3/31/2010 (about 10 months before tasting).

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 03:27:11 | More by ikats

womencantsail

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is a nice clear amber/copper color with a very minimal off-white head.

S: A really pleasant and inviting nose. Plenty of brett and funkiness along with a nice musty fruit and oak aroma, mildly sweet and tart cherries.

T: The flavor is surprisingly disappointing considering the nose. Almost solely sweet, cherry pie without too much in the way of acidity or yeast character.

M: Medium in body with a slow, rolling low carbonation.

D: A decent beer, but I was hoping for a bit more, especially from the nose.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 06:49:31 | More by womencantsail

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter on 6/19/10

Bottled on March 31st, 2010

Ruby colored with highlights of light plum; I find it similar to grape juice in that respect. The head rose to one finger of bubbly foam; however, it wasn't long for this world. Swirling congers a layer of foam but recedes to a wisp in the middle & a ring inside. No retention or lace by the end.

Immediately apparent in the aroma are notes of sour cherries & brettanomyces funk. Closer inspection reveals overtones of wood & an effervescent booziness (the latter being apparent after swirling the glass). A nice mustiness is prevalent as well.

The beer is tart & tangy, especially for the first few sips. Sour cherries are in full force. Funk & mustiness aren't as pronounced as I expected, though maybe not surprising considering how prominent the sourness is upfront. Toward the latter middle & finish, notes of oak & zinfandel are manifest. It finishes dry & slightly spicy. Tartness does dull a bit by the end.

Medium bodied with two-fold carbonation. At the onset, it's moderately prickly; by the end carbonation has become very low. Hardly any appreciable alcohol heat. Funky, tart & peppery residuals linger briefly.

Depuceleuse doesn't seem nearly as complex as I remember Brabant being. It appears Depuceleuse is, for better or worse, intent on working with less. I enjoyed it, though there could be a few improvements.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2010 04:10:15 | More by Ryan011235

PeprSprYoFace

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very nice cherry red color. Fairly clear. No head at all. No lacing. Nice color though.

Aroma is odd. Mostly Bret funk and a little sour cherry but the funk is a little like dust. Not totally bad just not quite right.

Taste is very cherry forward. Not a sweet cherry at all. Very dry but cherry flavor. The bret funk is a little weird in the flavor too. It's not bad but it's not the best. I wish it was a little more sour.

Mouthfeel is very dry. I like my sours dry but not that dry. Nice carb.

Overall it's not bad but I probably wouldn't drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 03:48:29 | More by PeprSprYoFace