Conflux No. 1 (Collage) - Deschutes Brewery

MIA4IPA

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was very happy to get a bottle of this collab. Poured a rustic dark hue with a quick fading head. Smell of raisins, oak and hint of booze. Exceptional taste leaves my taste buds chattering. A nice feel of tartness with definitely a rye whiskey end. Really wanted to save this bottle and put a little more age on it but its NYE!! Great collaboration, even though it was a bit pricey a great beer overall!!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:52:40 | More by MIA4IPA

beagle75

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy, dark amber color with no foam head. Light lacing remains on the glass.

S: Even-handed dark fruit, wood, spirit, and acids (lactic and acetic) evoke Flanders-style qualities at times. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with dark vinous fruit and restrained tartness before a brief spike in fusel alcohols. Yeast phenolics are exposed in the middle, eroding somewhat the solid foundation established early. Oak/bourbon/vanilla and honest chewy crystal malt emerge toward the finish, although resurgent vinous fruit lingers appealingly. Alcohol increases in overall influence gradually from beginning to finish.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, wet and balanced on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: A complex beer, with barrel and sour features that add interest--but stop short of being extreme or challenging. Some parts of the flavor profile are excellent, but the taste is undermined by the schizophrenic middle. Components don't quite meld into a seamless product, although the collection of parts are worth beholding.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 23:28:58 | More by beagle75

Borz

2.68/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Mohagany color. No head. I poured it in a wide mouth snifter as well as a normal beer glass, both smell sower. The dissident taste is overwhelming and is the prominant taste.
Could not get any clear Adam or Fred from it.
Personally I think it is overrated and way too expensive. 11 dollars for an 8 oz is ridiculous!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:21:49 | More by Borz

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big thanks to boralyl for this bottle. Split with Amyliz4 between Hair of the Dog and Deschutes tulips. Pours a reddish-brown with a short light tan head that quickly fades to a thin collar. The nose carries quite a bit. There’s an interesting mixture of barrels, with red wine and rye whiskey really coming through. A touch of sherry. Cherry and dark fruits along with some light acidity. The flavor isn’t quite as integrated, with a bit of alcohol taking hold alongside the acidity. A bit rough as it warms, compared to the nose. Medium body. Low carbonation. This could use a bit of time.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 20:02:15 | More by Thorpe429

RollBounce

New York

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Brown color with a red fiery glow, Almost no carbonation smell is so layered and complex. Wild yeast, sweet coconut rum like in the front with herbs and carmel lending to a dusty tart berry and oak finish, and that is just off the nose.
Sweet dusty upfront flavors, with tart fruit. Whisky comes to in the light hop and spice finish. ABV is noticeable.

Overall; Amazing nose!! Can't wait to see this beer age. As i notice after i opened it said on the bottle best AFTER 4/30/13. Good thing i have a few more :)

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:42:10 | More by RollBounce

Bendurgin

Maine

2.78/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Thanks for sharing Andy. Poured into a stemmed glass. This on pours a dark mahogany with no real head to speak of. Nice color.

The aroma is full of mollasses and dark fruits. Reminds me of Adam from HotD. Boozey with hints of toffee. Caramel and dark fruits on the pallet with a bit of (seemingly misplaced) tartness.

The body is full with decent carbonation. The flavor lingers. Overall this one seems like a mistake. Could be something great if it wasn't tart.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:58:23 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks a bunch to SonicAlligator for this beer! Poured into a tulip. The color is dark amber. There is a small layer of medium tan bubbles on top of the body.

This smells similar to Adam; the aroma has a lot of vanilla and sweet caramel malt. There is a bit more fruity hop character in the nose, however.

The flavor really highlights a punchy, grapefruity character to go with the sweet caramel malt flavor. This is especially shown in the finish. There is a hint of tartness in the finish as well. The balance works well for me now, I'm not sure how it would age.

This beer drinks lighter than it actually is. There is a nice fluffy mouthfeel to go with it.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:44:42 | More by andrewinski1

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice glass. Label says best after 4/30/13.

Appearance: Pours a very deep and cloudy brownish amber orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. About one finger of off white head that fades into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A very big aroma of barrel and tart fruits. Big barrel presence with hints of bourbon whiskey, oak, vanilla, wood,and some rye. Lots of fruit and wine like scents including hints of tart cherries, apple, grapes, and dark fruits including raisins, plum, and fig. Some molasses and brown sugar. Big malt presence with hints of caramel, toffee, and biscuit. Some alcohol. Smell is sweet and tart but far from cloying. A very complex aroma that comes together very well.

Taste: As big, complex, and tasty as it smells. The barrel aging shines upfront with a taste of bourbon whiskey, wood, oak, vanilla, and rye. A big complex fruit blend that is sour and wine like. Notes of tart cherries, apples, grapes, pear, and dark raisins, plums, and fig. Sweet brown sugar and a little molasses. Soft malts with some notes of sweet caramel, toffee, and light biscuit. Some alcohol can be tasted. Tastes sweet but it is also fairly drying and balanced. A very complex taste with lots of subtle notes that are easy to miss. Very good taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, juicy, and somewhat slick. Actually fairly smooth considering how big and complex it is. A little alcohol heat is felt.

Overall: A really good mix of big beers here. The big flavors blend well and avoid becoming a cloying mess. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 07:22:13 | More by MattyG85

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 355ml bottle. Pours a rich orangish brown with an ample beige head considering the ABV (nearly 12%!). This is a combination of two brews from Deschutes (The Stoic and The Dissident) and two from Hair of the Dog (Adam & Fred). The smell is everything you would imagine a beer aged in Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak barrels would be: complex oak notes mingle with tart fruit and citrus. On the palate it is also big, boozy and tart with oxidized sherry notes, grapefruit peel and cooked fruit flavours.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 19:17:47 | More by CookstLiquor

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 12oz bottle.

Pours a murky dark amber with some brownish hues. There is a thin head that raises up and dissipates almost immediately.

Aroma of intense barrel aged notes. Molasses sweetness with caramel and vanilla notes intermingled. There are some slight tart notes in the nose as well. Cherry tartness and some nice sweetness are present. There is also a fresh apple aroma that is present. Some hot booze in the nose.

Taste is a bit different than the nose. There is a strong boozy note to kick things off. There is some slight spice in there as well with some good woody notes. There is definitely some barrel notes with some molasses and dark fruits present in the middle of the brew. The slight tartness isn't as present in the flavor. The boozyness is definitely more perceived in the taste than in the nose. Mouthfeel is medium with complex flavors. Quite intense heat and some nice woody spice.

Not my favorite but interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:49:38 | More by JoEBoBpr

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 9/17/12

Best after 4/30/13

Shared by PDXHops; thanks Jeff!

The appearance is a murky rusty brown with dirty amber highlights. The head is thin; about half a finger's worth and doesn't last long. Retention is half wispy skim and half loose bubbles.

Layers of sourness line the aroma: tart fruit and vinous overtones. Notes of grapes, tart apples, raisins, plums, steeped grains, dank field grass, wet oak, soft bourbon, port sweetness. Musty oak emerges as the beer warms. Hints of alcohol waft about.

Alcohol is much more appreciable on the palate and the flavors are skewed from that of the aromatics. Here, the sourness isn't nearly as prominent; in its place are ramped up sugary sweet fruit notes - raisins, plums, figs and grapes. Charred oak, tobacco, leather. Caramel and toasted bread. Overtones of cherries.

The body is fairly full with sugar and alcohol. However, the feel is not cloying and it has a slight granular underpinning. Carbonation is moderate and well-suited to the overall feel.. Tart fruits, alcohol, oak and toasted sugars linger on the finish.

This is one to let warm up. The tart and sour aspects are most notable while it's cold; as it warms however, the Adam and Fred influence start to pick up steam. Really tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 06:56:05 | More by Ryan011235

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a matching Hair of the Dog tulip. The brew appears a clear, polished color of mahogany. A rich 2 finger khaki head sits atop and lasts with solid retention from the rising bubbles of supporting carbonation. It paints the glass with thick patches of lacing effect. When held to the light, the edges show more of a lighter orange to almost yellow clarity. Not gonna lie, this brew looks pretty awesome and displays a very nice cap for being nearly 12% abv.

The aroma is tart and reminiscent of the flanders style. Sour cherries come to mind mixed with a hint of apple cider vinegar. The barrel aging is quite prominent in the nose but it carries with it almost a spicy aspect like incense or cedar instead of the anticipated caramel/vanilla smoothness. As it warms up, a hint of vanilla extract comes forward with a hint of caramel and some fruity alcohol esters emerge giving the first signs of that high alcohol content.

The taste is strikingly similar to the aromatics. My first thoughts are of a jacked-up version of a flanders red. Mildly tart cherry mixes with vinegar and a solvent boost of alcohol mingled with some accenting fruity alcohol esters. Mid palate and into the finish is the barrel aging with caramel and vanilla flavors being quite evident. However, just as the aroma indicated, there is a spiced aspect about the woodiness of this brew that leaves an impression of something like incense or cedar.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The alcohol initially was quite suppressed but as the experience continues, it really comes out to play. Let me see if I got this right. This brew is a hodgepodge of the Dissident, Stoic, Fred and Adam all barrel aged? I love fred and adam and them going into a barrel makes absolute magic. I enjoy dissident and frown a bit at stoic. For 75% of this beer components sounding amazing, im sad to say that the biggest impression I get from this is memories of drinking stoic with the sour edge of dissident. Fred and Adam seem to have been lost in the background and provide seemingly nothing but a boost of alcohol. Oh well. I really wanted to try this and im glad that I have.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:25:53 | More by stakem

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed dark mahogany with a tan head. Strong bourbon aroma, vanilla, lots of dark fruits, brown sugar, and quite a lot of alcohol. A light tartness, heavy oak aroma, some charred wood notes, too. Tastes fairly boozy. Lots of whiskey, vanilla, and oak. Some caramel, brown sugar, and dark fruits. Fairly boozy with a light tartness and lots of dark fruits. Not bad, but not great, either.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 19:58:52 | More by womencantsail

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy reddish color with a one finger white head that fades to just a thin film. The nose is definitely from barrel aging. Heavy oak, vanilla, tart cherry and sour grape weave caramel, toffee, almonds, plums, figs, other wood notes like cedar and birch, dark fruit, slight banana, clove, cardamom, and heavy scents of sherry. Super complex, there are probably 1000 scents I'm missing. The taste is oak and sour cherry, vanilla, grape, apple, dates, figs, dark fruit, booze, toasted almonds, rich caramel, port, grape juice, smoke and a bit of chocolate. This beer is insane. The "Best After" date is 4/30/2013, I can't wait til my other one gets past that. Maybe I'll pick up one more so I can do one year and two. Beauty. Its like a blend of a sour, a stout and a brown all barrel aged in sherry oak casks and bourbon barrels.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 03:30:56 | More by DonDirkA

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a wine glass

A: Pours a dark but clear brown with a hint of ruby. Small, light tan head fades quickly. Nice legs of lace when I swirl it in the glass.

S: Opens with a wonderfully fruit malt aroma. Figs, raisins and cherries. There is also some sweet and sugary aromas: molasses and brown sugar. Oak and some alcohol are notable and provide contrast to the otherwise sweet beer. A slight tartness in the background.

T: Similar fruit presence as the aroma but somewhat more subdued. Molasses and other sugars are fairly prominent. Alcohol presence is fairly high but enjoyably reminiscent of bourbon. A good dose of oak and vanilla complement the alcohol. The tart aroma I picked up is now substantially more potent, and adds a great deal of depth. There are also some notes from the other types of barrels used. The finish has some red wine characteristics.

M: Surprisingly medium bodied for such a big beer. Smooth, slick and slightly sticky.

O: A delicious beer. The tart component really separates this beer from a more standard barrel aged strong ale. The alcohol provides more flavor than heat which is enjoyable as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 17:34:03 | More by WankelEngine

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Holy guacamole. Definitely the most complex beer to have ever traipsed across my tongue. My wife put it thusly: it's like a really good over-sugared whiskey sour, only it's beer.

It pours into a tulip glass nearly devoid of head (hence the 12% alcohol), w/ an odd stickiness on the glass that approximates lacing, but later leaves a crystal clear Windex shine. The aroma is flat-out strange. Like a tart dessert wine that carries an impossible-to-place savoriness that could be mistaken for turning (as in rotting) beef.

Then you get it in your mouth, and it's all over. The puckering sour screws up your salivary glands, causing the mouth to run like a stuck toilet. The syrupy mouthfeel says you're swishing a sauterne or an eiswine through your teeth, while the sweet malt and oaky-bourbon insist otherwise. In other words, the front of your tongue argues with both the middle and the back of the palate, the front saying "ack--sour white grapes!" the others saying "maple-sugar-sweet astringency!"

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 04:10:46 | More by martyl1000

Brandywine

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep crimson. No head to speak of. Nice alcohol legs and lacing around the sides.

Smell: Sour explosion of fruits. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry and plum. Maybe some blackberry. Super fruity.

Taste: Follows the nose but with lots of different barrel characters. Bourbon comes through on the tip of the tongue, followed by a very well blended but subtle spiciness from the rye whiskey. Definitely some red wine characters at the back of the tongue, which all of the berry notes blend seamlessly into. There is also a very subtle smokiness that must come from Adam. Overall the most dominant of the beers in collaboration here is the Dissident as the sour lays the foundation. Finishes off with a nice bit of tannic dryness that helps clear the palate.

Mouthfeel: On the full side of medium. Just enough carbonation to move things along.

Overall: This is just an awesome, crazy, complex beer. Really looking forward to seeing how it ages. Grab a few bottles. Have one now and cellar the rest.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:49:52 | More by Brandywine

dirtylou

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, $$$$

appearance: served in my elysian chalice, dark chestnut-amber body, creamy beige lace

smell: holy aroma - Fred jumps out first, followed by the dissident. belgian candi sugars, oak, tart cherries, alcohol

taste: "collage" is an appropriate name here - really layered and complex - I have a hard time getting much Adam from this but Fred is certainly vocal. On the Deschutes side, tart cherry and oak reminds of dissident. I'm not sure I ever had the Stoic but I imagine the abrasive mix of booze and sugar is partially derived from that. Tart cherry, lots of belgian sugar, abrasive alcohol bite, yeast, lots of barrel - pinot noir, oak, bourbon

mouthfeel: big, boozy, full bodied

overall: nice stuff, outrageously priced though

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:32:51 | More by dirtylou

brystmar

New York

2.08/5  rDev -50.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

"Best after 4/30/13." I'd suggest waiting even longer.

Muddy brown body, pretty ugly, and geez does that smell awful. Holy balls, keep that shit away from my nose. Note to self: don't use sherry barrels alongside anything else.

The flavor profile here is a great example of the poker term "FPS" (fancy play syndrome). There are far too many things going on here for its own good. In purely barrel terms, sherry mixing with bourbon and oak is a bad idea. On top of that, you have overly aggressive flavor profiles from multiple base beers clashing as they age. The decision to blend this many bold flavors together was a poor one.

This was my second time with Conflux #1 since its release, and my opinion of it hasn't changed. I love HotD and Deschutes, but this is an awful clusterfuck of a beer. Perfect example of FPS leading brewers awry.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 04:28:33 | More by brystmar

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy brown color ale with a large foamy head that disappeared quite fast. Aroma of sour notes is quite dominating with some brown sugar notes also perceptible. Taste is a weird mix between some sour and tart notes of cherries and oak (Dissident) mix in with vinous notes and some sweet caramel and malt notes. Body is quite full with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting experiment though not something I would drink on a regular basis. I’m also wondering if I would not have preferred to drink some Fed or Adam on its own and whether this is not a waste of good beer at the end of the day.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 17:50:37 | More by Phyl21ca

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice murky brown/amber color to it. It has a nice beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of toffee, caramel, vanilla, cherries and oak.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some sweet toffee and caramel along with some vanilla, cherries, red wine notes and woody oak.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 20:25:20 | More by SebD

DovaliHops

California

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky, red mahogany color with a small off-white head. Scent is quite inviting. I can tell right away that this is a very complex beer. At first I get a sour/funky acidic aroma (most likely from Dissident). It quickly turns to cooked brown sugar or molasses and dark fruits. Some sweet caramel and toffee notes linger in the nose with sweet whiskey and even some sherry aromas. Some definite oak with a hint of pinot. Red and green grapes...both sour and sweet. There is a hell of a lot going on with this beer, and I love it! Taste was just what I was looking for. The complexities carry through with the flavor. Tart cherry flavors at first, followed by some familiar white and green grape flavors I got from Fred and Stoic. Although Stoic was not one of my favorite releases, I think it played a big part in this beer. Adam comes through with the malty sweetness on the back of the tongue. The dark fruits and caramel malt flavors compliment the finish on this well-crafted brew. All the different barrel aging is hard to pin-point, but there are some definite whiskey and pinot wine flavors. I'm not too familiar with sherry or dessert wine, but I definitely pick some up. Mouthfeel is full bodied, tart, and richly sweet at the same time. Drinkability is high for this sipper...clocking in at almost 12%. Not nearly as much booziness as one would expect. Overall, this is an outstanding brew that I highly recommend. Drink one now, and save one for the "best after" date. Drinkin well now, and could possibly improve, although I don't see how it could become more complex than it already is. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 06:47:47 | More by DovaliHops

allouez86

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a shifter.

Dark red in appearence. Zero head but that's what I expected.

Smell is tart cherry and caramel. Slight hints of whisky in the nose as well.

The cherries are way more subdued in the taste but there is so much happening here. Sherry, cognac, whisky, caramel. It's sweet and has many characteristics of a barlewine but every time I pinpoint a flavor something else jumps out at me and it's near impossible to classify this brew. Finishes both sweet and slightly sour.

Mouthfeel is slightly thicker than I'd anticipated. Very low carbonation levels.

A very enjoyable drinking experience. I'm very excited to have a handful in the cellar and more on the way. With a best after date of April 30, 2013, I'll definitely be editing my review later down the road.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:40:26 | More by allouez86

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pour is a murky dark brown with a thin dark tan head. Nose has a bit of dark olive underneath with strong plum notes and a hint of acetic acid. Taste is similar, has notes of Adam underneath the sour plum and black cherry notes. A hint of an acidic twang in back on a creamy body and crisply carbonated finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 18:40:30 | More by cpetrone84

Etan

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a Maine Beer Company wine glass.

A: Pours a murky brownish ruby with a decent egg shell head.

S: Vinegar, oak, clean alcohol, some muted malt and barrel notes behind (brown sugar, caramel).

T: Mild tannic sourness from Dissident, cherry juice, and plenty of Adam's unique maltiness (leather, earthy, burnt caramel). A bit of noticeable pale malt sweetness from Fred.

M: Medium to thick-bodied with very light carbonation.

O: Doesn't make my jaw drop, but it's pretty interesting and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:37:45 | More by Etan