Splinter Gold - Tröegs Brewing Company

HoppyKilaMonster

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Had a bottle from the Troegs tasting room. 'Batch 2'
Wood hits your pallet pretty strong right off the bat, then wood and sour flavors blend nicely together.
Beer is a deep gold in color, with a little more carbonation then usual for this style.
Hints of sour apple and grape.
Overall a very well put together beer. Very sour, and for being 10.8%, hides the alcohol well.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 19:30:14 | More by HoppyKilaMonster

jbdpsu82

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours very hazy amber color, finger-width head that quickly disappears. Fruity, boozy, carbonated flavor. Mouthfeel of sparkling juice. Goes down easy. Delicious and worth the special trip for a bottle.

Get a hold of this is you can. Excellent sour.
Fan-flipping-tastic! That's a tmesis.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:41:45 | More by jbdpsu82

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Maybe it was the 3 years of anticipation, but this lived up to everything I had hoped for.

Poured and split at the troegs tasting room 5/18/13
Appearance was a hazy, orangish yellow, reminding me of a darker dreamweaver.
Big fluffy head that dissipated quickly over a few minutes.

Smell was mix of tangy sourness, mild Brett, and white wine.

Taste ranged In flavors of white wine, oak, slight tartness, a bit of hay and barnyard, and a hint of rosemary.

Overall, this was everything I had hoped for and more.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 13:28:56 | More by taylor714914

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml corked and caged bottle. Consumed at the Troegs Tasting Room.
Batch #2, 10.8% ABV

A: Hazy golden copper colored beer, certainly along the lines of what you'd expect for a barrel aged Tripel base beer. Moderate head which settled out nicely considering the loud pop from the cork. Minor lacing and a decent retention ring around the outside.

S: Funk, sweet pale malt, citrus, bread, lemon, oak and huge chardonnay characteristics. Lots of white wine notes definitely stuck with the beer.

T: Up front the brett has done some nice things to this beer. Classic Tripel-like alcohol notes are here along with some tartness and funk. Sweet bready malts along with citrus. Well balanced, very crisp and dry -- drinks like a nice oaky white wine.

M: Highly active carbonation but it's good for what I like in the style. Dry, woody and bubbly on the palate. Nice mouth feel.

To be honest, this was awesome. The brett worked wonders on this along with perhaps the Westmalle strain they used for bottle conditioning. I'm eager to see how this one develops over time. Well worth your effort to taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 03:04:28 | More by ShanePB

nrs207

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Drinking out of the bottle in the Troegs Tasting Room

A - Hazy golden color with a nice 1 finger off white head. Retention is great for a 10.8% wild ale.

S - Tons of oak, a good amount of white wine. Nice funkiness from the Brett. Smells nicely tart, but not an extremely sour beer. No trace of alcohol.

T - Goes along with the smell for the most part. I prefer wild ales/gueuzes/etc to be extremely sour, which this is not, but the funkiness and oak tannins with the white wine backing really give it a nice complexity. I'm curious how some age will treat this.

M - Gave it high marks because the alcohol really just isn't present. 10.8% is like nonexistent. Carbonation level is nice for the style. I'd describe it as medium. Medium mouthfeel in terms of body as well. It drinks pretty easily. I could easily down a 750 of this, which I did, but split over 2 bottles over a few hours with a friend.

O - Really good beer. This beer drinks way under the abv, and has a lot of barrel character. Really well done. I'm surprised how small a release this was given the size of the brewery. I'd knock it down because of the limited release size, but if you live close enough I think it'll be available at the tasting room for a bit. Definitely worth the 1:40 drive I made. Best Troegs beer I've had to date for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:56:17 | More by nrs207

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this at the brewery tasting room split with my wife August in two tulips from the chilled 750.

The color is dark golden with mild haze and thick quick to drop white head with very fine bead. The smell is very wild with some hints of wine barrel odor and light alcohol but mostly brett with some woody esters. The feel is good but is tart up front with some barrel tannin and light sweetness with moderately high carbonation and warming alcohol in the finish.

I like the flavor more than the smell, there is a nice yeastiness with some slight malt adding a sweet taste but generally vinous with some tropical almost pineapple and light white grape flavor alongside the mild brett and belgian yeast which compliments the oak in the taste. I nice tangy hint of grapefruit as it finishes with some alcohol adding a little bite to the finish on top of the carbonation. I enjoyed this a lot considering I never tried one of the original bottling, but found it a little green and the higher than average alcohol listed as 10.8% on the bottle I consumed was apparent near the end of the glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 18:17:45 | More by Slatetank

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Sampling a cellar temp bottle that is a few years old. Thanks to my brother Brian for getting me this as a Christmas present.
The beer pours a cloudy gold color with some tan sediment suspended in the pour. Bleached white head of .5 cm sticks around to a sturdy surface layer.
Aroma is apricots, musty blankets and dry Brett dominance.
First sip reveals an average to lighter body with fine tingly carbonation.

Flavor is briefly sweet fruitiness with citrus notes and apricot but rolls to musty dry notes and some cracked black pepper notes. I also get warm booze on the finish and amazingly dry palate after each swallow.
Very drinkable enjoyable brew. Glad to have had a the chance to consume.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:50:04 | More by sulldaddy

ehammond1

California

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2009)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, MordorMongo!

(Aged for 3+ years)

Not the typical POP! upon opening which has been typical with this beer, if reports do serve correctly. Only a mild "hmph" upon opening, and no gushing here to report.

Hazed dark golden and dark yellow in color with a small near-white head. Leaves the glass lined with stick. Pretty, though unremarkable.

Big notes of Brett funk--apparently this beer has evolved into this Brett monster over the years; it's a good thing I love me some Brett. Huge notes of earth and old, dirty stones (the depths of a well is what I'm picturing in my mind), with some hay and grass, and a bit of lemon, pear, and green apple character. Complex and powerful.

As with the aroma, the flavor is dominated by the delicious, complex, funky, evolving yeast: grass, barnyard, brick, and stones. Along with yeast is some mild lemon and sweet bread, with just a tiny bit of tartness, but this is one funky beer.

Medium in body with moderate carbonation. Perhaps would have been even better with high carbonation.

We want the funk, gotta have that funk, we need the funk, give up the funk!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:33:42 | More by ehammond1

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by yourfragile

Appearance: golden peach pour with good head and lacing
Smell: Mostly brett with some oak and very faint funk
Taste: Brett dominates, followed by oak
Mouthfeel: very dry, high carbonation
Overall: Very brett-forward beer, not sour at all though. I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 19:07:20 | More by craytonic

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared by yourefragile at our sour and wild ale tasting on April 14, 2012. Thanks Michael!

The beer appears hazy and golden yellow colored with a small white head. The aroma is very pleasant, with scents of oak, brettanomyces, funk, citrus. I am a big fan of the flavor. Everything I discovered in the aroma translates beautifully into the flavor profile. Citrus, yeast, oak, funk. Alcohol content is hidden gracefully. Overall, I thought this was fabulous.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 02:22:55 | More by Huhzubendah

mdfb79

New York

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 04/14/12 notes. Big thanks to yourefragile for sharing this one; thanks Michael! Big want of mine.

a - Pours a hazy golden color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of brett, fruity malts , oranges, citrus hops, and some spice. Nice brett and oranges, I like the nose.

t - Tastes of a ton of oranges and brett, fruity malts, citrus hops, spice, yeast, bready malts, lemon. Taste has even more brett and oranges; just awesome. A step up from the nsoe for me.

m - Medium body and high carbonation. Nice but a little too carbonated, keeping the body from being great.

o - Overall a really nice beer. Wasn't overly sour at all, but had a ton of oranges and brett which I love in a beer. Worth checking out, looking forward to them brewing this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 19:24:38 | More by mdfb79

drabmuh

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by yourefragile. Served in a Troegs cervoise. At the time of this review, this is #7 on the "Top Beers - American Wild Ale" list and #78 on the "Top Beers - United States" list on beeradvocate.com.

Beer is yellow and hazy with a thin wispy white head, moderate retention, no lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is bretty and oaky, very oaky, mild sourness, mostly funk.

Beer is light in body with a pretty dry finish, a really dry finish, very oaky, very strong, very tannic on the finish. Odd bitterness, nice mild tartness and lactic, interesting beer. I'm glad I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 17:04:40 | More by drabmuh

scottfrie

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing your bottle at the tasting, nerd.

A: Pours a hazy pale lemon brown with a thin bubbly white head.
S: This beer has a perfumey kind of funk with a mix of fruit and horse blanket. Smells good.
T: Sweet, not really that sour but there is some acidity to the finish. Very fruity with flavors of golden fruits and peaches. The brett is there as well though, and maybe a touch of green apple and spices.
M: Full body with no harshness. Smooth, and like I said, not really that sour overall. Ample carb.
O: Tame sour but a really really good fruity-brett flavor. Definitely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 04:54:08 | More by scottfrie

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one in the cellar for a year plus thanks to Cisco. Figured fathers day would be a good excuse to treat myself.

Hazy straw pour with a big foamy white head. Nice lace. Little bit of a gusher when the cork gave a satisfying pop.

Lots of funk on the nose. Some fruity citrus in the background but mostly funk.

Taste is dominated by the Brett up front but then some fruit kicks in. Sour apple maybe.

Overall a really different brew for troegs but I hope it's a precursor to what is coming in the new faciility.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:11:12 | More by beermanbrian

Mora2000

Texas

4.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle. This is a beer I have wanted to try for a long time.

The beer pours a hazy yellow color with a white head. The aroma is extremely funky. I get a lot of brett funk as well as some bready malt, oak and orange citrus notes. A very inviting aroma.

The flavor is also very nice. I get a lot of tart lemons and oranges along with some oak and brett funk. The sourness is definitely present but I find it less sour than the Splinter Blue. Overall, I would say the beer is more funky than sour. The beer is very dry and easy to drink.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 06:15:28 | More by Mora2000

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to treyrab for bringing this bottle to kick off the tasting. This was a big want of mine, and I am happy I got to try it.

The pour produces a hazy dirty straw colored liquid with a thick creamy head. This, like all of the Splinter series, is very carbonated. Thick and sticky bands of lace stick to the sides of the glass. This looks like part tripel and part saison...

The aroma is in line with the prediction from the appearance. Fruity, funky and dry, the nose also brings white vinous notes and grassy bretty characteristics. The flavor also translates similarly, as the grassy funk and white wine are again contributors. Caramel and butterscotch in the mid-palate give way to some sawdusty oxidation and boozy warmth from the 12% alcohol content.

Very highly carbonated with a medium body, the carbonation does lighten it up a bit. It should be interesting to see how this ages, given the hints of oxidation that we noticed in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 23:38:02 | More by NittanyBeerFan

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing this long time want, Trey! This was the first beer of the tasting.

Hazy orange yellow with a dense, white head with great retention. Lacing is minimal. Nose is very Temptation like - dry, vinous, white wine and moderately fruity peach. Spicy alcohol is present. Brett is grassy hay and mildly horse-like. There's some honey as well. However, the most noticeable character is the fruit, and as is warms up, there's some orange peel.

The palate is good! Very dry with grassy and hay-like flavors. There's a mild spice character as well, with a blend of alcohol and the tripel base with clove. A touch oxidized with a stale malt character, the alcohol is definitely noticeable on the finish, boozy and warming. Tannic white wine is present, the combination of booze and tannins is a little harsh. Honey is present mid-palate , along with a touch of floral character. Medium-light in body, high in carbonation, this is great apart from the finish. The funk isn't very strong, this is all about the grassy funk. Solid stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 14:47:23 | More by DefenCorps

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 2, oct 9/2010. Maltzilla contributed this one. thanks diego!

750ml corked and caged bottle with a tag describing it.

pours hazy golden orange with a huge white head. the head drops fairly fast and leaves lots of lace.

aroma is good. smells like a tripel or belgian ipa. corriander and belgian yeasty spice with some light hopping. bit of citrusy american hops.

taste is great. a lot like the aroma. no real sour character here. reminds me of a slightly sweet tripel or belgian ipa. white bread and cracker. bit of biscuit. light herbal character. bit of citrusy american hops.

mouthfeel is good. medium body with a pretty dry hoppy finish. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great. great balance, hiding most of its alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:16:04 | More by grub

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Corked and caged 750ml bottle on 1/23/11. Time to break out the Splinters!

A - Poured a hazy pale yellow straw color with some grit and carbonation bubbles, as well as a dense three-finger pillow of bubbly foam on top that reduced to swatches of sticky, bubbly lace.

S - Splinter Gold boasts a vibrant aroma of citrus fruit (especially orange pith), fruity esters, bread, and a hint of spicy, peppery yeast. The sourness is moderate at best and not obtrusive or overpowering at all. While there is just a hint of cellar funk, the sourness displays a more fruity character, which I found to be quite pleasant.

T - Citric and slightly funky with moderate sourness right off the bat, but paired with a spicy yeast presence and a tinge of pepper. Again, notes of citrus fruit appears, paired with a bready aspect and some sweetness in the mix too. Finish is quite tart.

M - Light to medium bodied with a subtle syrupy texture. Splinter Gold is crisp and effervescent with lots of bristly carbonation. Finishes bone dry and moderately sour on the palate. Alcohol presence is quite tame for a 12% beer.

D - This is definitely an approachable sour and an amazing first effort from Troegs. This is tasting great with a year of cellaring under its belt.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 13:55:31 | More by ffejherb

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to Ffej for breaking this out at his tasting.

Pours a hazy, dark golden banana yellow color with paler golden hues when held to a light source and a 2.5 finger frothy,pillowy white head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves streaks of lacing behind.

Slightly funky Brett aroma with subtle horseblanket/barnyard notes as well as some earthy oak. There's also a lactic cream presence along with estery light fruit from the belgian yeast. Hints of banana, apple, pear and bread. It kind of smells like a Belgian golden ale/American sour/German wheat beer hybrid.

Tart and puckering up front but not acidic at all with nice dry Brett effervescence. The funky puckering notes are countered mid palate by lacto cream, estery crisp, light fruit, bread/yeast and sweet alcohol. Fuller bodied than expected with hints of wheat and banana as well as apple and pear notes. Lots of dry Brett but this beer is never too sour or abrasive. Very well balanced and the high ABV is decently masked with only slight sweet alcohol and warmth in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 22:48:32 | More by corby112

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Earlier this week Deuane asked me what beer I would most like to try in the world, and a few hours after I responded with the name "Splinter Gold," he cracked open a bottle from his basement for us. Thanks a lot Deuane!

Splinter Gold has a great look, with a cloudy golden body and a massive off-white head. The retention and lacing are both ridiculous; the thick cap of foam never really goes away, it just gets stuck on the side of the glass.

I spent a lot of time sniffing this beer before I drank it because it smells so damn good, and there is a lot going on in there. Some wood, a boat-load of musty brett, a little bit of tartness, light fruits, and a hint of sweet malt.

Although I would say that Splinter Gold smells better than it tastes, it still tastes very good. Up front comes notes of wood and a ton of brett. The musty, horsey flavors in this beer are as strong or stronger than any that I have experienced. Next hints of pear and green apple break through the brett in the middle of the beer, and coming with them is a little bit of tartness. A lot more brett characteristics follow, adding more funky-musty flavors and a ton of dryness, but underneath that I notice just a hint of ever-so-slightly sweet bready malt. The finish to this beer is insanely dry.

Well carbonated, nice body. Probably the driest beer that I have ever had.

I approached this beer expecting a lot of sourness, and not so much the dry, funky brett that I found. Despite that, and the massive amounts of brett and the extreme dryness, if I had not been sharing this beer I could have easily finished the whole bottle myself. Also, I was shocked to see that the ABV on this sucker is 12%. I would never have expected it was that high, and I was surprised to see it on the description here.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 23:54:17 | More by Hojaminbag

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I've been sitting on this bottle for some time and figured I'd crack it open for review #900. Many thanks go out to krisandajt, who was kind enough to give me this bottle while I was unemployed and unable to get it myself. You're a good man Joe.

First off, this cork was a real bitch to get out and ended up breaking while working on it. Finished with a corkscrew and then poured a hazy golden color with a lot of sediment floating around. about an inch or a little more of white head slowly fizzles down to a pretty good lace, fullest around the edge.

Aroma up front is just jumping out of the glass with funky brett. It's an immensely funky, horse-blankety aroma . The funk remains a big component as it warms but the elements of the tripel start to emerge. They include a fruity, estery aroma, some sweetness and pepper. Really nice and very complex.

The taste is ever bit as good and is really quite impressive. Has a soft sweetness, some floral and fruity estery flavor, peppery spice and a layer of funky brett that permeates all of it. The funky flavor is sort of horse-blanket like and has a touch of band-aid flavor to it as well. Also has a cooling, menthol sort of quality to it in the finish.

The mouthfeel here is really spectacular, a crisp medium body even at 12%. You would never know it because it's so smooth and light for that strength, with a crisp yet not overdone carbonation and a drying finish.

I obviously don't need to say it because so many have already done so, but this is really a sensational beer. I think it's drinking a bit funkier now than I remember it from when I tried it a couple of months ago, and I wish I had had the chance to try it when it was "fresh" in the bottle as well, to see how it has changed. Luckily if they release it again I'll get that chance. Many thanks again Joe for this special bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 02:56:46 | More by number1bum

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -24%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing, Greg! From notes.

Pours a cloudy golden straw color. Bottle didnt gush surprisingly (had spent some time in the freezer), but the head was quite sturdy. Big effervescent foam, with some lace.

Aroma is really bretty, earthy, good amount of raw woodiness and some mineral-ish character combining with the alcohol presence. But mostly it's just straight brett. The taste is much of the same, bretty, earthy, dry. Some white grape and berryish fruity note mid-palate. Very subtle acidity before a harsh alcoholic, medicinal finish. And to quote Steve's notes on drinkability: "Not that drinkable".

I wanted to like it, but the harshness in the finish and lack of a sharper acidity hurt it for me. It was much more than just a barrel aged tripel, yes... but it needed more than the one-dimensional brett to take it to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 03:20:51 | More by Ineedabeerhere

jampics2

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A surprise case of bottles arrived at the Tröegs Brewing Company event at Winking Lizard for the scratch and splinter event. While setting up, the bartenders asked me if I knew anything about the 750ml bottles that owner Chris Trogner had dropped off earlier in the day. I explained that the event was to have Splinter Blue and Black, and I told them a bit about the descriptions of the beers. I also said that the Black was the first bottled run ever, so it wouldn't have labels. You can imagine the look on my face when the bartender pulled out a bottle with a gold label and asked "What about this one?"

So, Chris brought his last case of Splinter Gold to the Winking Lizard, where it was sold for $5 a glass. We had the Splinter Red on tap last year when it was just "barrel-aged Mad Elf". About a 6oz pour into a wine goblet, and I made sure I got the cleanest pour possible as these bottles have a ton of sediment. They're also slow gushers, with snakes of white foam with noticeable yeast chunks escaping the bottle until half of the beer has been poured. Use a stopper for this one if you're not planning on pouring it all at once.

The beer is a golden, almost chardonnay color with some suspended yeast. It's relatively clear, but later pours from the same bottle were muddy. The head is small but bright white and thick, and it leaves spotty but appreciable lacing on the glass.

The smell is dominated by a "horsehair" smell from the brettanomyces and some noticeable but subdued lactic sharpness. The brett has developed a ton in the last two years according to Chris, who commented that he thought the beer had reached its peak. Not as crazy as a Saison Dupont or anything, but some wild notes and fruitiness, reminiscent of eating apple skin and drinking white grape juice while walking around a barn. Some mild spice and oak. Really pleasant but paled in comparison to the expressiveness of Splinter Blue.

The beer tastes wonderful! It's brett based at first, then some Belgian yeast and chardonnay (oak and grape) flavors rush in. Just a hint of peach and green apple tartness, no lacto-sharp lemon flavors at all but for the very end. The oak has left some vanilla and mild spice and makes this very sophisticated. The malt is sturdy and has a Belgian Tripel like taste - sweet candy malt and a touch of herbs and citrus. More tripel than wild. And more wild than sour. Very well constructed.

The mouthfeel is courtesy of crisp carbonation and a medium body. The finish is dry with some oak and mild brett lingering. Imminently drinkable. I get that this is a rare beer and I'm very happy to have had it. What a wonderful surprise! But I must admit, if I had traded an arm and a leg for it instead of having it poured for $5, I probably would have a bit of traders remorse. It's just nothing that unique or extremely new or different. It is very well done, as were all the offerings at this legendary event. However, at the end of the night, there were bottles left while the cases of Black and Blue went quickly. I didn't see one person order a sampler and only get this beer, so maybe Cleveland beer people just don't "get it" or, it could be, the Blue and Black are just that much more world-class. Still a great treat - thanks, Chris!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 19:52:44 | More by jampics2

fiver29

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at Winking Lizard Lakewood. Pours clear straw yellow color with white head. Aroma is brett, straw, barnyard, funky. Lively carbonation and medium mouthfeel. Flavor follows the nose and is funky, barnyard, brett, light, lively, tasty and finishes dry. This is a great brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 02:18:15 | More by fiver29