When unintentional infections turn out for the better

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by BirdsandHops, Feb 12, 2013.

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  1. BirdsandHops

    BirdsandHops Pooh-Bah (2,825) Apr 14, 2008 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Society

    It's always a bummer to open a beer only to have it gush and/or taste of sour, tart fruits. I usually try to drink at least some of the beers anyway to see how they turned out, though they're usually either bad or create clashing flavors (I get this especially with stouts/porters). I remember the well the horrors of 09AbyssGate.

    Twice in the past month, though, I've come across infected beers that were at least as good as the original, if not better. The first was an older bottle of Olde Hickory Daniel Boone, which is a bbal brown ale. Fresh it was pretty boring and not much going on. A friend and I cracked a year-old bottle, though, and were greeted by a fairly strong sourness which blended with the bourbon and brown ale aspects very well. Kind of like a bourbon Flanders oud bruin, and far better than the original product.

    The other was Hardywood Park's Bourbon Grand Cru (a quad). I had it on tap when fresh and it was a solid bbal quad--not too boozy or heavy. The bottle I had the other night shot its cork out once the cage was free, though thankfully didn't gush. What was once a smooth and bourbony quad had become a much lighter, tart, and citrusy quad (like a mellower Bolt Cutter). I don't know if I'd say it was better than the original, but it was at least on par.

    So are there any other positive infection experiences out there?
     
  2. Gonzoillini

    Gonzoillini Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2008 Illinois

    The first (?) batch of Cigar City Guava Grove had a fantome-esque infection going on that was glorious, but apparently it got out of control on subsequent batches and they switched to a super clean saison strain.

    The infected batches of Goose Island Sofie and Matilda were pleasant for a time, but now they are bordering on undrinkable.

    Cheers!
     
  3. RBassSFHOPit2ME

    RBassSFHOPit2ME Initiate (0) Mar 1, 2009 California
    Deactivated

    CharlieWine from Mammoth Brewing...upside down label. And at 10% to boot!
     
  4. TheRealDBCooper

    TheRealDBCooper Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2010 Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands

    Ranger Creek Small Batch 1. The bottles are infected with some delicious brett. (And the wax on the bottle is infected with ass fungus, though that is fading with time.)
     
  5. BirdsandHops

    BirdsandHops Pooh-Bah (2,825) Apr 14, 2008 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I've not had Sofie post-ABI takeover, but I've definitely had a couple of gushing bottles that were extremely delicious. Definitely the best beer I've had from GI. I also remember trying Guava Grove a long time ago before I had much else from CCB and really enjoying the sourness. I had it again last year at a tasting and it wasn't the same beer at all or nearly as good.
     
    Gonzoillini likes this.
  6. Boozecamel

    Boozecamel Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2011 Canada (BC)

    Best beer I have ever had was an infected Chimay blue.
     
  7. wesbray

    wesbray Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2012 Canada (AB)

    I've heard the notorious 2007 batch of Pannepot was not too dissimilar to the rare and expensive Pannepot Wild.
     
  8. bump8628

    bump8628 Pooh-Bah (1,617) Feb 21, 2008 Oklahoma
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Yeah that wax is weird smelling...
     
  9. El_Chupahueso

    El_Chupahueso Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2012 California

    Bruery Autumn Maple that has a souring thing going on. Pretty amazing actually.
     
  10. Gonzoillini

    Gonzoillini Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2008 Illinois

    The infected Sofie was an unintentional infection that caused it to greatly sour from lactobacillus (as opposed to the funk it develops from its time in wine barrels that are inoculated with Brett). It was very good fresh, but I had a bottle of the same batch (http://www.chicagonow.com/the-beeronaut/2011/06/goose-island-sofie-beer-recalled/) not long ago that was undrinkable.

    The An-Inbev buyout of Goose has had 0 impact on the actual beers themselves in my opinion.

    Cheers!
     
  11. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    Infected Guava Grove was awesome. They should intentionally make a soured version.
     
    vonnegut21 likes this.
  12. jaminjohnson

    jaminjohnson Initiate (0) Jul 3, 2012 Canada (YT)

    Infected boulevard chocolate ale I had at the ba abraxas release was pretty good
     
  13. Jips

    Jips Initiate (0) Nov 29, 2007 Illinois

  14. dwoolley1

    dwoolley1 Savant (1,138) Dec 16, 2009 New York
    Trader

    I had an infected Isabel that was not bad for a wild ale. Moreover when brought to the attention of the brerwery they made good.
     
  15. MusicaleMike

    MusicaleMike Savant (1,220) Mar 17, 2008 Pennsylvania

    Do you guys have standards at all? Infected beers are disgusting and you shouldn't drink them, because they are terrible...
     
  16. litheum94

    litheum94 Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2008 California

    I really enjoyed the infected Mirror Mirror. That's the only infected beer that I've enjoyed though. I tried to enjoy BA Token, but just couldn't do it.
     
  17. nesarebad

    nesarebad Pooh-Bah (1,804) Feb 4, 2012 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Hmm...it has come to my attention that there is a small minority of beer drinkers that like these type of things. Wacko's...the whole lot of em!
     
  18. tjensen3618

    tjensen3618 Savant (1,225) Mar 23, 2008 California

    I think this infection stuff is becoming something of unintentional acquired taste among BA's.

    Kinda how skunkiness in Heineken and Corona is a high quality "import" flavor to macro drinkers.
     
    MusicaleMike likes this.
  19. MusicaleMike

    MusicaleMike Savant (1,220) Mar 17, 2008 Pennsylvania

    Exactly!
     
  20. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    These are quality beers made by quality breweries. <sarcasm>
     
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