[1] Review by Sap from Tucson, AZ, USA who has tried this beer once. (7/24/2007 2:36:52 AM)
"Pours with a two-finger thick, light tan colored head that sits atop a hazy, lightly chunky, reddish amber colored brew. The beer has a distinct aroma as I pour it that reminds me of a desert-type, white wine grape varietals; one with a touch of tartness, but a really nice fruity, sweetish character to it reminiscent of apricots, and perhaps a touch of orange zest. A tart backdrop to the aroma certainly does not dominate, but adds a nice level of complexity to the more noticeable fruit notes. I also notice notes of almonds and amaretto up front. As my nose gets used to this brew I start to notice some light, yet serious funkiness here; notes of stinky-farmhouse cheese, limburger, moldy wood, dank mushrooms and really what just seems like old cheese are all faintly noticeable underneath the more dominant aromatics; though I must say the funkiness becomes more apparent the more my nose gets used to the brew; still it is never overwhelming. I also notice aromas of sweet spices like clove, nutmeg and some sort of woody herb like birch or perhaps sarsaparilla. This ends up with a very complex nose, though I could see the funkiness being a bit off-putting to some; for me though, I definitely am enjoying the last 7 minutes I have spent smelling this brew.
The flavor still has a light sweetness to it, plus the apparent tartness, both of which accentuate the fruit character of this beer. There is also a subtle spiciness here that has components of clove, perhaps some cardamom, a touch of mace and again some root spice notes here that I can’t quite pinpoint. Fruity notes of Macintosh apples, raisins, sweet-concentrated plums (though not quite to the point of prunes), hints of fresh fig, a chewy cherry note and a berry-like currant note are all discernable here. There is still some malt character here, one always gets a sense of it without quite picking the individual contributions out, but when I do distinctly taste it I get notes of caramel, toasty malt, and a soda cracker-like note; all of these individual malt flavors are very subdued though. The sourness is noticeable, yet fairly subtle; it really plays a supporting role here and fortunately it is a role that it plays quite well.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable brew; rich and complex, it is certainly a sipping brew. Despite this, it is not heavy, the light sourness really helps to make this that much more drinkable and even enjoyable. I really like how the various flavor / aromatic groupings of this beer come together; fruit, spice & funky tartness all contribute significantly to form a unified drinking experience."
Aroma:
8/10
Appearance:
8/10
Mouthfeel:
7/10
Flavor:
8/10
Overall:
8/10
Final Rating, by Style:
(3.9)
Sampled: Bottle Sample Size: 750ml @ $15 Unit Cost: $9.46 per Pint
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(3.9)
