Beerfection

Tag: American Wild Ale

  • Alfheim | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Alfheim | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Score: 91/100 – Outstanding

    Appearance 4/6

    The beer pours a clear deep gold with very little, thin, white head. Poor foam retention. Nice colour and clarity.

    Aroma 22/24

    Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is perfumy, funky, and quite elegant.

    Notable farmyard funk and fruity tones pair well with barrel and mild supportive malt character. It’s hard to say if there are hops in there but the earthiness is making me think of them. A tiny bit of alcohol with no apparent off-notes. Great nose!

    Flavour 38/40

    Strong intensity with sharp balance and moderate perceived bitterness.

    Quite a bit of mixed acidity – between lactic and acetic (that I can tell), but without going overboard. Vivid barrel character and farmyard funk along with fruity esters and mild pale malt. A splash of alcohol and no off-flavours. Excellent.

    Mouthfeel 9/10

    Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is slightly puckering and fizzy with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. A trace of astringency with no actual harshness on the palate.

    Overall 18/20

    Another fantastic beer from Albion. In less than two years, they’ve become one of my favourite Canadian breweries.

    Alfheim is an outstanding sour beer with a beautiful sense of restraint. I could finish a whole bottle on my own and not feel overwhelmed. Superb balance, good drinkability, and a touch of intrigue make this a beer worth seeking out. Highly recommended.

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  • Chevalier Vert | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Chevalier Vert | Brasserie Artisanale Albion

    Score: 95/100 – Outstanding

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a brilliant, medium amber with massive, dense, creamy, tan head. Persistent foam. Glorious appearance. Top notch.

    Aroma 22/24

    Medium intensity with good balance. The aroma is delicate yet complex and it has an enticing quality to it.

    Wonderful balance between the yeast, hops, and malt. A healthy dose of brett but it doesn’t dominate the nose. No off-notes or alcohol. Lovely.

    Flavour 38/40

    Medium-strong intensity with great balance and pronounced perceived bitterness.

    The yeast and hops take the lead while being supported by the malt. Pleasant minerality ties it all together. The flavour is fruity-earthy-flinty and it’s fabulous.

    Mouthfeel 7/10

    Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp yet creamy with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. No astringency or harshness of any kind on the palate. Excellent!

    Overall 19/20

    Albion does it again. This beautiful brett pale ale really stands out.

    It’s missing the intangibles of a world-class brew, but it’s well worth seeking out. The beer is delicate yet characterful and it boasts fantastic drinkability with superb balance. There are no flaws.

    What can I say? Please, sir, I want some more?

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  • Sainte-Flore | Flore Sauvage

    Sainte-Flore | Flore Sauvage

    Score: 60/100 – Not Recommended

    From a 500ml bottle served at cellar temperature at 10 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Bottled on 230530 – maybe that’s May 30th of this year? In that case this beer is 6 months old. I picked it up from a local specialty store about 3 weeks ago.

    A new brewery – people have been saying positive things about them. There were three releases on the shelves when I grabbed this bottle. I was reluctant to pick them all up not knowing what the brewery’s product is like.

    Here we go, first one ever from Flore Sauvage.

    Appearance 5/6

    The beer pours a slightly hazy pale gold with 3.5cm of thin, puffy, white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 2+ minutes. Poor lacing with decent head retention. Effervescent. Nice appearance.

    Aroma 12/24

    Medium-strong intensity with decent balance. The aroma is yeast-forward with deep earthiness.

    Big, earthy, pungent farmyard funk. I’m struggling with words. Surprised. What I visualize, I have a hard time putting in writing. All I know is I don’t want to swirl the beer due to the barnyard vibes being so dominant and borderline off-putting. A tiny bit of honey and mild floral tones along with a hint of citrus show up if you leave the glass still. Mild wet hay and a low grassy quality. Low grainy malt at the back. No apparent alcohol.

    The dry nose is light with mild farmyard funk, gentle floral tones, and a touch of wet hay.

    Flavour 24/40

    Medium intensity with sharp-ish balance and moderate perceived bitterness.

    The delicate palate opens up with light citrus notes, mild minerals, and some farmyard funk continuing through the center with very similar character. The mid-palate features notes of citrus (lemon + sweet oranges), moderate brett-like earthiness, gentle floral tones, and some methyl mercaptan (bad breath). No alcohol.

    The short finish is bitter-ish and of moderate intensity with notes of earthy farmyard funk, mild grainy-crackery malt, and low citrus (lemon). Rustic. Somewhat bland.

    Mouthfeel 9/10

    Medium-light body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is prickly, lively, and fizzy with no apparent alcohol warming and a dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. This is very palate-cleansing.

    Overall 10/20

    Flore Sauvage Microbrasserie’s Sainte-Flore is a below average brew.

    Nice enough appearance even if the clarity and foam attributes don’t impress. Considering the type of beer this is, the looks are solid. There’s no way around it: I find the aroma unpleasant. There’s just too much pungent animal funk reminiscent of horse blanket, rotten eggs, and bad breath. Swirling the glass really brings it out so I would stay away from agitating the beer. If left undisturbed, the aroma is rustic and kind of nice. On the palate, the beer is much more enjoyable. The funk shows more restraint while the other components get a chance to showcase themselves. That said, what comes through is a little thin for me. I used to water down my orange juice a lot when I was drinking it back in the days. This is making me think of that. Sure, it’s refreshing, but it lacks excitement. The mouthfeel is likely my favourite part of the beer: it’s spritzy and bone dry, ensuring a thorough tongue scrub.

    Overall, Sainte-Flore is below my expectations. It ends up being on the watery side with very little depth. Where it does show character is in the aroma – and it’s unpleasant with a big animal/fetid quality.

    As it stands, I simply can’t recommend this to people. By bumping up the flavour intensity and diminishing some of the “wild” character I could see myself really enjoying this. There’s a highly drinkable, brett grisette vibe here but it fails to deliver an enjoyable drinking experience for me.

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  • Assiduous: Rye | Reverence Barrel Works

    Score: 94/100 – Outstanding

    From a 500ml bottle served at cellar temperature at 12 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. The temperature is slightly higher than the recommendation. No date information on the packaging. I picked up the bottle straight from the brewery just over a week ago and my expectations are high given the previous beers I’ve had from Reverence

    Appearance 6/6

    A gusher. The beer pours a veiled pale gold with 3cm of moderately dense, creamy, white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 2+ minutes. Great lacing with decent head retention. A good looking beer.

    Aroma 22/24

    Medium-strong intensity with great balance. The aroma is vinous and as beautiful as it is enticing. A well-built oak is paired with pleasant pome fruit (apples + pear), white grapes, and pineapple. A touch of hay with earth and spice along with faint barnyard character and supportive malt-sweetness. Low ethanol for a slight edge and no apparent off-notes. The dry nose is fruity-oaky-spicy. Fuck, yass.

    Flavour 38/40

    Follows the aroma with medium-strong intensity, superb balance, and moderate perceived bitterness. The palate opens up quite vinous with notes of white grapes and pome fruit making way for a sophisticated center featuring notes of pineapple, alcohol-soaked dried fruit, spice, and whisky (vanilla + oak). The medium-length finish is balanced and of moderate strength with notes of dried apples, spice, low grainy-crackery malt, a hint of wet hay, and oak. So good.

    Mouthfeel 10/10

    Medium-light body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp and delicate with a nip of creaminess, restrained alcohol warming, and an off-dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. Excellent.

    Overall 18/20

    Reverence Barrel Works’ Assiduous: Rye is an outstanding beer.

    A gusher, so be careful when opening this – the beer just leaps out of the bottle. A pleasing appearance sets the stage for a charming, balanced, and complex aroma which plays out beautifully on the palate. The mouthfeel follows with an elegant quality and classy weight. I’m impressed.

    This beer is worth a trip and it’s my favourite Reverence offering to date. I highly recommend you try this as it’s worth seeking out. In addition, If you’re in search of a gateway beer for wine drinkers, this is it.

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  • Opus Two | Counterpoint Brewing Company

    Opus Two | Counterpoint Brewing Company

    Score: 94/100 – Outstanding

    From a 500ml bottle served at cellar temperature at 12 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Bottled on March.19.2020 making this about six months old.

    As a summer (late June) 2020 release, the beer comes straight from the brewery and I acquired it through a friend. My expectations are slightly above average.

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a veiled gold with 4cm of moderately dense, frothy, white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 2+ minutes. Good lacing with decent head retention. Effervescent.

    Aroma 22/24

    Medium-strong intensity with sharp-ish balance. The aroma is elegant and complex.

    Bright citrus notes of lemon and sweet orange pair with apricots and mild pineapple. A combination of generous oak and white grapes add a vinous quality. Additional notes of grainy-crackery malt, a hint of spice, a touch of earth, and a driblet of alcohol make for one intricate aroma.

    The dry nose is quite malty with notes of wet hay, dried fruit, and oak.

    Flavour 37/40

    Follows the aroma with medium-strong intensity, great balance, and low perceived bitterness.

    The sour palate opens up with restrained lactic acidity, citrus (lemon), and white grapes making way for a balanced center where the beer takes on a beautiful, delicate character featuring notes of white grapes, lemon, orange peel, toasted grain, and significant oak.

    The short finish is balanced and of moderate strength with notes of dried apricot, plain yoghurt, grainy-crackery malt, a hint of spice, and moderate oak.

    Mouthfeel 10/10

    Medium-light body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is light, sparkling, and delicate with restrained alcohol warming and a dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate.

    Overall 19/20

    Counterpoint Brewing’s Opus Two is an outstanding sour beer demonstrating excellent craftsmanship.

    Great appearance due to notable foam quality and head retention for the style. The aroma with its nuanced layers is a thing of beauty. The flavour follows with incredible balance and character. If that wasn’t enough, the boys at Counterpoint made sure the mouthfeel is wonderful: pleasant creaminess and a dry finish without overwhelming the palate with acidity.

    I highly recommend this. Most sour beers these days lack balance and character. Opus Two has both. It may not be obvious at first, but you’re looking at a rare treat here – one that exceeded my expectations.

    My sincere compliments to Counterpoint for creating a remarkable beer. Cheers!

    OMG, read another breview!