Oak Theory
Casey Brewing & Blending and Barrel Cellar

Oak TheoryOak Theory
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From:
Casey Brewing & Blending and Barrel Cellar
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #60
ABV:
5%
Score:
97
Ranked #701
Avg:
4.38 | pDev: 6.16%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
262
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 21, 2023
Added:
Feb 19, 2015
Wants:
  98
Gots:
  51
This beer is our take on classic Belgian sour beers from the Senne Valley. We combine Colorado pilsner malt and raw wheat with a hefty charge of aged European whole hops and boil for almost 3 hours. We ferment in a variety of different sized oak barrels with a proprietary blend of saccharomyces, brettanomyces and various lactic acid bacteria cultures. After aging in these barrels for anywhere from 9-12 months, barrels are selected for their unique flavors and that individual blend is born.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.49/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pour on the RBSG17 bus. Clear pale golden body, small skin of head. Light funky aroma, bits of citrus, fruit sweetness. Taste gets a bit vegetal, more barrel funk and wood notes More sweet than sour.
Nov 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.49 by cp45 from New Jersey

Mar 19, 2023
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.09/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 22nd December 2015. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.

Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a thin white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.

Aroma: Funky, damp wood, hay, lemon juice, pear, with light apple and floral notes.

Taste: Light to moderate sour, lemon juice, citrus rind, pear, apple, with light funk and notes of lime and wet wood.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: I heard this was described by someone as a table beer, and I thought that this was pretty accurate. It was brewed with the Senne Belgian sours in mind, so I’d call it a table gueuze when compared to the best of the gueuzes as although everything was enjoyable and worked together, it was still relatively muted in comparison.
Nov 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by Yungcoolship from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.34 by Vicirus from Massachusetts

Aug 20, 2020
Photo of SierraNevallagash
Reviewed by SierraNevallagash from Maine

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
750ml corked and caged bottle - 3/21/18 vintage - poured into a chardonnay stem at 38°F.

Pours a nearly crystal clear bright brassy golden, with a quarter-finger of coarse, bright white head building, before quickly settling down to a razor-thin collar. Some slow effervescence rises upwards.

Nose: A delicate grainy foundation supports a bright bouquet of gentle acidity, lending just a whisper of vinegar and plenty of lemon juice, tons spring floral notes, wet hay, river stone minerality, tons of wet oak, delicate farmy funk, some dusty stone cellar, petrichor, and underneath everything else, a pure, clean malt note that is very reminiscent of malt whisky. There is a lot of subtle nuance, even though the aroma as a whole is extremely delicate.

Palate: The ale greets the palate with an immediate acidity, which is delightfully balanced. Not puckering or bracing, but still very much a sour ale. Much like the aroma, it's rather delicate - very bright and sprightly, opening with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, wet hay, tons and tons of lactic minerality, some yogurt, a big vinous punch that lends many white wine-like qualities, buttery oak which lends its own unique musty type of funk, fresh flower petals, peach pit, and as it progresses, a faint melon-like note, which lends a nice fruitiness. Moving towards the finish, the acidity takes a sharp decline, and the brighter, fruitier notes begin to fade. The oak influence comes to the forefront, this time a bit drier, and the funkier, more brett-forward notes emerge. Into the finish, there is no trace of sour left, and the oak becomes slightly tannic, ever-so-slightly bitter, and everything dries out in a clean, conclusive finish.

Mouthfeel/Body: Truly the shining attribute of this ale. It is absolutely light-bodied - delicate and crisp, fleeting from the palate with no weight at all. The effervescence is simply diving - champagne-like, with even finer bubbles, and not quite as aggressive. This, paired with the gentle acidity, scrubs the palate clean, lifting off dry, and leaving you longing for tge next sip. It's nearly perfect.

Overall: This is a delightful Colorado wild ale. Once it has had several minutes to breathe, open, and warm up a little, I'm quite surprised by how much traditional Belgian lambic character there is here. It's so superbly balanced, with an approachable level of acidity, extremely delicate flavours, subtlety, and remarkable drinkability. It's almost subyle to a fault. What is has going on is dainty and beautiful, but I almost want a bit more complexity, funk, and oak - particularly given its namesake. Nevertheless, its a great wild ale, and it does a womderful job paying homage to the old word Belgian ales.
Jul 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Jan 12, 2020
Photo of dtSour
Reviewed by dtSour from Pennsylvania

4.71/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle from 3/17/16.

Poured golden with a white head. Very clear without the dredges. Aroma is slight barnyard funk and oak. Some noticeable stone fruit. Taste is smooth tart lemon and funk on the back end. Finishes dry. Very fitting medium carbonation. Very drinkable with little noticable alcohol. I could drink this all day long.
Dec 08, 2019
Photo of CanConPhilly
Reviewed by CanConPhilly from Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 bottle from OrcaWhale.

L - 1/2 finger head dissolves rapidly, leaving a translucent yellow body.

S - white wine, funk, vinegar.

T - wine barrel, oak, funk, vinegar. Quite tart but only mildly sour. No bitterness. Low sweetness. No booziness.

F - medium-light body with appropriate carb.

O - a wonderful beer.
Nov 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Aug 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Prost76 from New Hampshire

Apr 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by ScottP from New Hampshire

Apr 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by Ben1313 from New Hampshire

Apr 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.37 by Futbolmanby from Michigan

Mar 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.68 by rjp217 from Massachusetts

Mar 09, 2019
 
Rated: 4.59 by Gagnonsux from Texas

Dec 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.55 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Dec 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.01 by kmanjohnson from California

Sep 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.45 by Blazer22 from Colorado

Sep 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by Keananmichael5 from California

Sep 20, 2018
Oak Theory from Casey Brewing & Blending and Barrel Cellar
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 262 ratings