Splinter Blue - Tröegs Brewing Company

Gtreid

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to urwithdave for sharing. 750 ml bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Hazy, orangish, pink color. The pour produced a small off white head that faded to a thin rim.

A: Lemon, orange peel, small cherry. I get notes of flowers, grass, and spice. Lacto and brett also appear.

T: The citrusy, floral, spice really comes to the forefront of the brew. The funky sourness is somewhat subdued, but still present enough to give this one cred. Cherries take a back seat, and it finishes with a bretty goodness.

M: Medium body. Pretty high carbonation makes it sharp on the palate (as expected).

D and overall impression: Drinkability is pretty high, I don't think I would have a problem finishing off a bottle be myself. The only knock I can give this beer is, it may have been to young. I would really like to revisit this in 6 months, to fully appriciate the complexities of the brett on the beer. But overall, very good and highly recommended. Skal.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 14:40:49 | More by Gtreid

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jecker aka Josh who brought this to the inaugural "Imminent Liquidation Bottle Share" event. Bottle poured into a taster glass.

A - Pours hazy pink with a nice pillow of one finger tall white head, dissipating down to almost nothing, leaving light lacing down the glass.

S - Plenty of sour funk up front mixes well with the tart cherries, bready wheat, lemon, lactic sweetness, and dry oak. Not too over the top. Very nice.

T - Similar to the nose. Quite sour up front, once it dies down a bit you begin to pick up the tart cherries, chewy wheat from the dream weaver base, and some dry oak tannins. Finish is tart with some lingering funk. Not as sour as some of the other beers on the day but it still held its own. Very nice offering from the splinter series.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Nice crisp, funky, feel with plenty of pucker in the finish lingering for some time.

D - Pretty high. I have had this beer a few times now but I finally decided to sit down and review it. The tart cherries are a perfect match for the dream weaver base. Another great offering from Troegs.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 01:17:43 | More by orangesol

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 mL caged and corked bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: This pours a full hazy raspberry pink color, with light orange / grapefruit edges. A frothy white head rests on top, leaving a bit of lacing.

Smell: Tart cherries and some white grape provide the fruity aroma, while a robust oak presence imparts some vanilla notes as well.

Taste: Some light wheat up front, followed quickly by tart white grape and cherry flavors with ubiquitous vanilla and oak. It has a growing acidity as it lingers in the mouth, with the finish having a vinegary nature.

Mouthfeel: Bubbly, crisp carbonation. Acidic tannins are present, with a medium body.

Drinkability: I found this to be pleasantly sour and complex without being over the top.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 17:18:37 | More by KickInTheChalice

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to the folks who have shared this brew with me up till this point and to Matt (slatetank) for the most recent tasting where I could finally scratch down some notes on 2/13/11.

Poured from a 750ml corked and caged bottle. This brew appears a hazed pinkish red color with a big fizzy white head. The cap audibly pops and cracks away which is constantly supported by rising bubbles of carbonation. Spotty and patchy lacework sticks to the glass.

The aroma of this brew is fruity sweet and pleasantly blended with funk. The fruit is bright and fresh yet not immediately identifiable as the cherries described on the label. It is fruity sweet smelling along with a familiar grain character that you can faintly identify as the dreamweaver base.

The taste is fruity, sharply acidic and funky with cheese notes. There is a base of fresh grain that provides a unique foundation for the funk and fruit to play off of. A light touch of wheat and grains is present to offset the contrast of fruity acidity. The flavor is quite wild and almost grapey at times with a light vinous touch. The alcohol's presence increases as the brew warms but is well incorporated.

This is a light bodied brew that is highly carbonated. It is a solid representation of the style, super enjoyable and easy drinking. For the most part the alcohol is well hidden. I fault the carbonation for being a little out of hand but that is easily taken care of with swirls of the glass. The dreamweaver base had me skeptical but they really pulled this one off. The tart cherries were a nice compliment. I'd love to see Troegs bring something funky into the regular/seasonal lineup.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 15:55:20 | More by stakem

muttyd

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

*Reviewed from notes*

Pale, hazy red pour with a thin foamy head. Funky, fruity (cherries and apples) aroma with a strong brett presence. The instant this beer hits my tongue, the sourness kicks in. Tart apples & cherries, woody, slight vinegar in the flavor. Grapefruit, acidic sourness. Dry finish with a funky flavor that persists long after the beer is gone. Very effervescent with a medium body.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 15:16:16 | More by muttyd

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked this up on the release day -#173 in line- enjoyed on 2/13 at our wild ale tasting. Poured chilled into a tulip.

A slightly reddish hued amber with slightly golden accent - thick creamy cap of white which retains well w/ very fine bead. the clarity is mildly hazy. A funky sour and fruity odor w/ strong floral and lemony essence with mild juicy sour cherry ester. The ale smells lightly of the dreamweaver malt base. The feel is sweet and tangy with mild bretty essence and light acidity w/ high carbonation and slight creamy feel as a result of that and wheat body. There is a slight hint of acidity in the semi-dry finish.

The taste is strong with juicy cherry mild pie like flavor w/ crusty part from the wheat and juicy cherry with slight sour cherry note and the yeast also imparts some tanginess, but not intensely sour. The mild sweetness of the wheat provides a subtle cushion for the cherry and brett tartness and the wood provides and nice backdrop to the blend of these ingredients. I liked this a lot -a terrific tart and fruit flavored wild ale. there is some sweet tarts with lots of bretty-ness and it doesn't lack in sweetness. the splinter blue really takes the base of dreamweaver and twists it making a completely different and better beer with brett and cherry really making things interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 01:45:27 | More by Slatetank

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to slatetank for sharing this 750 mL corked and caged bottle.

A: The wild ale looks like LeBleu (we opened LeBleu prior to this one). The reddish hue makes sense here though because cherries are involved. A white head, bleached, accompanied the ale.

S: The nose is sour but not overpowering. Paired with the lemony bite is a sour cherry presence.

T: Effervescent. That best describes Splinter Blue. The bubbly aspects refuse to quit, filling up each sip with an airy lightness. As the bubbles disappear, sour flavors emerge. The lemon aspect sits nicely atop the Dreamweaver base, sour wheat flavors are plentiful. A sweet cherry taste, with sour points in tow, delivers the final aspect of the ale. The whole combination is a wild light, tart but not overpowering, an introductory sour.

M: The mouthfeel is mildly sour, offset by the sweet tartness of the cherries. A pleasing flavor that doesn't get too far out of hand.

D: Very drinkable, a wheat base with tartness and sour cherries. I can't imagine that the beer is too strong with Dreamweaver as the base. A good use of a barrel, funk, and cherries.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 02:51:17 | More by akorsak

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 2, oct 9/2010. Jw347 contributed this one. thanks john!

750ml corked and caged bottle with tag describing it.

huge pop on the cork, but surprisingly it isn't a gusher. pours hazy reddish orange with a big white head. the head drops fast and leaves no lace.

aroma is nice. bit of paint thinner and nail polish. cherry and raisin. bit of fig and date. fruity. bit of alcohol. lots of spice.

taste is great. similar to the aroma, but with more funk. leather and horse blanket. vanilla. bit of sherry. raw oak. lemon and malt vinegar.

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

drinkability is good. pretty good balance. moderate acidity and sourness works well.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:15:11 | More by grub

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml corked & caged bottle into a couple of tulip glasses.

The pour here is surprisingly calm in the glass, with a hazed rosy amber color that is topped with a finger of foamy bright-white head. This shrinks down pretty readily but swirling this gets it back up to a frothy ½ finger, which throws a robust looking cascade of soapy lace up on the sides of the glass where it then proceeds to slowly drip back down. The aroma is equal parts tart and sour on the edges of the nose, with a somewhat bright smelling core of cherries, yeast, and vanilla. Some light smelling notes of earthy and cheesy funk from the Brett glide along the back.

Some acidic sourness controls the front part of the taste but it doesn't seem too overly aggressive, as it gives way to a mix of tart cherries, green apples, grapes, and sweet sugars which linger and coat the mouth with their flavors. There is a bit of a light woody presence that surrounds the overall profile but it's mostly felt in the finish with a green feel and some deep earthy dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and while initially more viscous and lower carbonated, this does start to firm up and get livelier the longer it sits in the mouth. This definitely has some overall beef here (I'm not sure of the ABV) but I didn't pick up any alcohol and the tannic slickness of the body helped keep this one a pretty steady sipper.

This was another well done Bretted and barrel-aged offering from Tröegs. It didn't quite impress me as much as the Gold (the tartness and acidic notes were a bit less approachable here) but the mix of Brett, cherries, Dreamweaver base, and barrel notes kept this quite interesting on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 20:34:10 | More by Kegatron

Hojaminbag

Colorado

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

Splinter blue pours with a rose colored body and a pink-tinted head.

The aroma has a good bit of sourness and a bunch of tart cherries.

Up front comes a considerable amount of sourness, with a drier, more musty brett flavor underneath it. A little bit of spicy oak mixes in there also, with hints of vanilla. The wood flavors are definitely in the background of this one. Lots of cherries pop up next, adding their own tartness and juicy cherry flavors. There are notes of some berries in the background, as well as a slightly vinous character. Some peppery phenolics come out in the finish.

Slightly puckering with a medium body and carbonation on the high side.

Splinter Blue is a good wild ale. It is balanced, complex and pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 22:25:08 | More by Hojaminbag

Bendurgin

Maine

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Andrewinski1 for yet again being a stand up generous BA and sharing this rarity with me. Thanks! Poured into a tulip. The body is murky ruby color. Reminds me of Ocean Spray red grape fruit juice. This has a nice fluffy white head in the pour and it settles down to a thin layer of foam. The aroma warning me that this is sour! It however has a nice balance of sour cherries with a kiss of sweetness to round it out along with a crisp oak aroma. The taste isn't as sour as I had believed it would be from the aroma. Just a faint sour taste to it with a sweet oaky vanilla finish. The feel is kind of dry in the finish and the body is light and crisp. This is the most drinkable wild ale I've ever had. Basically chuggable.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 04:21:32 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to cmurren25 for this gem. Ruby red grapefruit color. Sizzling off white head. Lacing is not sticky and head retention is minimal. Nice bubbles on the side of the glass.

Tartness if immediately evident in the aroma. Not too overpowering to notice a nice sweet cherry scent. A bit of honey is also there.

Well this is a little bit sweeter than anticipated. The start has a nice smooth sweet cherry flavor that is immediately followed by a rush of dry sour sparkling grape juice like flavor.

Nice crisp mouthfeel makes for this to be a very enjoyable beer. Nice light body, just enough substance to slow me down a scotch. Very good, unique American Wild Ale. Very drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 04:03:13 | More by andrewinski1

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Another Splinter that I have had multiple encounters with but have yet sit and pound out a review for.

A-Golden kissed copper with lustrous orange highlights. A voluminous pinkish tinted off-white head quickly dissipates to a thin cap and leaves attractive swaths of lace.

S-Sweet cherry, sharp brett mustiness and dry oak. Almost comes across to me as a dessert with light hints of vanilla in the background adding to the complexity.

T-Prominent dry Brett bite up front which is nicely balanced by the vanilla/cherry sweetness combination. Tart, but not overly sour. A nice acidic zing in the drying finish.

M-Medium bodied quite sharp and effervescent with a good lingering tartness.

D-This one just does it for me. The brett, fruit and oak combination are just about perfectly blended resulting in an infinitely complex, light, bright and crisp brew. Absolutely enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 13:55:46 | More by Deuane

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

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

Pours a dark golden rosee color with with dark golden tangerine colored hues when held to a light source and a two finger frothy head that is off-white and slightly pink. The head quickly fizzles away leaving no lacing.

Sweet vinous aroma with very subtle hints of funky brett, oak, vanilla and dark fruit. The oak isn't as prominent as the other beers in the Splinter Series but there is a mellow vanilla presence that provides nice balance to the fruit notes.

Tight carbonation with a prominent dry Brett effervescence up front which is quickly countered by hints of grape and apple. I swear I can pick up the skin of the fruit. Puckering up front but not acidic at all and the sour element is nicely balanced by the sweet fruit notes. Fuller mouthfeel than expected with a puckering dry finish. I'm not sure what the ABV is but te alcohol is excellently masked and this beer is extremely quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 23:27:37 | More by corby112

womencantsail

California

3.75/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thank you to Dan for sending this one my way.

A: The cork pops and the pour is...orange? The head is large and white.

S: I get tart cherry notes on the nose along with a generally tart aroma (lactic acidity). Some lemon zest and a light oak aroma. For a sour cherry beer, this is sort of boring.

T: At least it has more cherry flavor than it does aroma. Lots of pie cherries and carbon dioxide going on here. The fruit and oak character are decent enough and the flavor is pleasantly tart.

M: Medium in body with a moderate to high level of carbonation.

D: Not a bad beer by any means but not terribly interesting. It was pretty easy to drink, though, which is a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 22:39:07 | More by womencantsail

Overlord

California

3.53/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks to Jerz for hosting an awesome tasting, and for so many generous beer connoisseurs who made the event possible.

Those Pennsylvanians know how to get their breweries' names in the paper (**ribbit, ribbit*) so I was excited to try this.

Pours a very hazy orange. Orange? Eh? WHERE'S MY BLUE! Wait, it's a cherry beer? But Splinter REd was taken? Why not Splinter Cherry? SOMEONE STOP THE MADNESS.

Thin white crust. No real frothing.

Smells like muted, stale cherries and some lemon zest. Frankly, the lemon zest appeals more than the old cherries.

Taste is better, but still nothing to write home about. Cherries are tart, no real sweetness, but they also just seem stale. Not muted, or restrained, or not flavorful: kind of like old cherries. Some lemon zest, fairly sour ... tart puckering after taste ... a bit flat both flavor and carbonation wise. It's not there's anything unpleasant about this beer, the flavors just aren't popping or strong enough. Almost no wood/oak characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 05:03:31 | More by Overlord

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pale reddish body capped by a moderate pinkish-white foam. Spotty soapy lacing. Lively carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass.

S: Earthy, barnyard notes. A bit of wheat. Tart cherries complement a nice woodsy profile.

T: Some people might find the lack of huge cherry flavor disappointing... I however, think the subtle cherry combined with oak, and earthy funk quite nice. Certainly not the intensity of a Kriek, but thats not what I needed out of this. Only the slightest hints of wheat from the dreamweaver base.

M: Lively carbonation... my bottle wasn't over-carbonated as others have noted. Light-medium bodied. Assertive tartness that doesn't overwhelm either. Nice dry finish

D: A relatively unique and enjoyable American Wild. Quite glad to have hit this release up and picked up a few bottles with my wife.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 02:42:55 | More by callmemickey

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to hopdog for providing this!

Appears a light gold with a small white cap that quickly fizzles out into a gentle film and mild collar. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of funky, tart cherries, earthy, leather, apple, brett, with a ghost of the original wheat beer.
Taste is of the aromas with the tart cherries, and brett becoming the champions of this beer.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, tart, a touch of lactic burn leading to a dry finish.
Pretty damn nice!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 02:10:47 | More by weeare138

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

$23 at Tröegs tasting room on release day. 750mL bottle to oversized wine glass.

A: With the risk of an overflow in mind, a gentle pour produces a meager finger of bright white head that is quick to recede. A high level of carbonation is apparent and a steady stream of bubbles adds life to the thin collar that rests along the glass's edge. (Lacing is highly unlikely.) The body has an elegant rosé color, approaching pale, and is medium-light in saturation. Gorgeous. The last pour deposits suspended yeast sediment and likens the appearance to that of all natural grapefruit juice. Despite the spare head and lack of lacing, on the merits of the body's color alone, the beauty of this beer cannot be denied.

S: Heavily lactic, the nose on Blue brings about notes of earthy must and funky barnyard mixed with light aromas of sour cherry, generic berry and well-integrated oak. An excellent nose builds anticipation. My mouth is watering at this point.

T: Without prior knowledge, one would never guess that the base to this beer is Dreamweaver Wheat (although the grain IS somewhat evident). The sour cherry component is no bigger on the palate than it was on the nose. Green grape and sour apple provide additional fruit flavors to compliment the dry oakiness on the finish. Chalky. Cherry PEZ flavor comes to mind.

M: A holocaust of the taste buds of sorts. Violently carbonated, Blue has an effervescence that is expansive and very aggressive as it scathes the tongue. Ultimately the mouthfeel deters from the enjoyment of the flavor. A few heavy swirls are needed to release the excess carbonation and allow the flavor of the beer to shine through. Sharply tart, moderately sour with light acetic undertones. Finishes extremely dry and mildly chalky.

D: Pop the cork and get this beer into a glass. Let it sit for a while. If that doesn't bring this beer into its sweetspot, give it a good swirl or two. Once this beer opens up and the carbonation is tamed, Splinter Blue becomes wildly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 14:20:57 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-pours a bright tranparent amber color with a bright white, lively head that is extremely bubbly and fizzly.

S-the nose has some light notes of a mushroom funk, light leathery brett, some dry oak almost sawdust like with a fair bit of sour cherries in the back.

T-brett and funk come in up front, earthy and mushroom like. the oak is extremely dry and works well with the earthy funk. some sweet green apple flavors and notes of peaches come in, sour cherries are very sweet and somewhat off in the mix.

M-lively and light, very carbonated and prickly on the throat with a fairly dry finish.

D-this has some intersting flavors going on, the cherries seem somewhat out of place and overly sweet or synthetic. the flavors are light and understated but the fruits are pleasant and the american funk is well done. nothing jumps out and it could be more vibrant but still rarther good. this could have been really interesting without the cherries.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 15:01:11 | More by cpetrone84

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Avalon68 for proving this in a recent trade. Frank is an excellent trading partner.

Effervescent & active pink head that builds and fizzles out almost immediately. Clearly a pinkish shade to the amber color with some cloudiness. Quite a bit of quickly rising carbonation. No lacing to speak of.

Fruity tart aroma and an aroma of baby aspirin or orange Smarties.

Very nice flavor. I am quite excited that I get my favorite roasted nut flavor in this beer. Light tart flavor with a slight cherry taste, followed by the nutty notes. There is a nice complexity to the flavor while remaining quite delicate. Certainly acidic and filled with brett notes, but the more tart vs. sour.

Very light body with a spritzy carbonation. Fairly dry in the finish and very refreshing.

I am really enjoying this beer. Well done by the folks at Troeg's. Really enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 20:40:37 | More by Reagan1984

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle in the midst of multiple cherry sours, krieks. Difficult one to rate as it's almost more in the berliner weiss style in its body and flavor profile. Pours clear salmon/amber with tons of bubbles exploding loudly, receding to nothing. Body is highly active. Nose is light, mineral, faint funk, faint lemon. Fairly nondescript when chilled. Flavor is a lot of mineral up front, light lemon, green apple, segueing into a nice earthy, mushroom funk. Prickly carbonation. Cherries don't really add very much, this is all about the subtle flavors and explosive body. As it warms the funk comes out, as do lighter fruits like pears and peaches. I liked it quite a bit. Amazing drinkability for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 21:27:47 | More by JAXSON

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pourd into LA Stemware

Pours a large fizzy white head that settles to a thin ring. It sounds like pop rocks. Color is hazy grapefruit pink. Active carbonation.

Aroma: Tart cherries, funky brett with some floral notes. It is oaky with a bit of spice, but the big flavors here are cherries and brett. Fairly young.

Taste: Big brett funk up front and lingers though. A bit of medicinal flavors follow through. The cherries are here and a bit tart, but nothing that sticks out heavily. It has oaky flavors. Some bready malts. A touch of spice as well. It isn't too tart or sour, which I expected more of.

Mouthfeel: Fizzy and funky. Lighter bodied with a higher amount of carbonation. Ends dyr with medicinal flavors.

Overall, it was an alright sour, but it really can't compete with the others out there. It was a good first attempt, but I think they need more experience. This one could have maybe used some other bugs and some more cherries. I wished it was sour and tart. I only got funk here.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 20:27:18 | More by mothman

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle. Courtesy of mothman. Poured into a chalice a cloudy opaque apricot orange color with a slight collared head but lots of carbonation. Funky aroma with notes of cherry and lemon zest. Light mouthfeel with good carbonation. Has a more malty flavor and feel than I expected but it works nicely with this beer. Funky, fruity cherry and tart lemon flavors. Has some underlying funk flavor but not overly so. I wish the cherries showed a little more in this. Very easy drinking. Slight bitter notes in the end. Overall, this is an ok sour beer. Is it worth the hype? No, to me it isn't but I would drink this again given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 02:40:26 | More by kbutler1

Jmoore50

Nevada

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received this bottle in the White Whale IV BIF from Hophead101. This was a delicious beer that is another great addition to the Splinter series.

I have no idea why, but Troegs feels that it is their responsibility to develop the most impossible ways to open their beer. This bottle had a synthetic blue cork that broke my bottle opener. Then once the bottle opened it exploded all over my kitchen. I would have to say about twenty percent of the bottle ended all over my kitchen. What made it into my glass was a beautiful pink and ruby color with a rocky white head. No real 'floaters' or anything of that nature, a really beautiful looking beer.

The bottle exploded, and when that event occurred my house filled with fresh scents of cherry pie. Tart and sweet cherry smells filled the room, accompanied by a very light must brought by the yeasts.

I do have to say that this beer reminded me of Russian Rivers Supplication. It has a great tart cherry flavor that is clean on the palate and not overbearing at all. This is an easy drinking sour that I could easily drink. Other than the great cherry flavor there is a sourness that brings a bit of lactic character to the beer with a dry Brett mouthfeel.

This was a great beer that I believe should be consumed as fresh as possible. The fruit flavor is delicious and the tart and sour flavors are perfectly balanced.

J

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 06:24:47 | More by Jmoore50