Spring 2011.
My review on RateBeer:
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (63) - San Diego, California, USA - APR 18, 2011
750 mL. General release: April 2011. Poured into Bruery tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours deep amber with hues of copper, burnt orange, and milk chocolate. Opaque. Head is almost 1 finger, Baileys Irish Cream colored, has relatively large bubbles, and has fairly short retention duration. Head settles relatively quickly and leaves some foam around the edge of the glass as well as patches of thin film on surface that have quite a bit of sediment pieces.
AROMA: Oud bruin, tart cherry, wine barrel, milk chocolate, some dark chocolate as well (though this is more subtle), and cranberry. Able to discern a faint leather aroma, though unsure I would if never expected it. Roasty malts are only gently roasted and are pleasant when complimented by the chocolate malt. Faint oak. Strong swirl brings out an extremely faint hint of smokey character.
TASTE: Quite sour. Oud bruin. Tart cherry and some cranberry throughout. Mid palate has faint hint of leather taste. Back of palate has pleasant amount of subtle chocolate and more tart cherry. Finish is more tart red stone fruit. The woody tannins are discernible on back of palate and finish.
MOUTH FEEL: Medium bodied. Semi dry. Sharp bite. Alcohol fairly hidden for the abv.
OVERALL: Was hesitant to purchase this at first because, although I enjoy Oud Bruin, the “aged balsamic” notes (per the description on the bottle) made me a bit wary, as I generally avoid this condiment. Perhaps because I generally avoid balsamic vinegar and am somewhat unfamiliar with its characteristics, I am unable to pick out (nor able to reject the existence of) balsamic notes. My favorite aspect of this sour/wild ale is the subtle chocolate undertones. Second most enjoyed aspect is the tart cherry character. Overall, while this is an impressive ale, I am a bit unimpressed with the value.
Mischief Gone Wild. Hoppy Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale with Brettanomyces. The Bruery. Placentia, California.
Spring 2011.
My review on RateBeer:
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (62) - San Diego, California, USA - APR 17, 2011
750 mL. Poured into Bruery tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours pure yellow gold. Slightly hazy. Big 3 finger head is white, rocky, has lengthy duration, and leaves some scattered patches of lace. Rocky head settles evenly, leaving some chunks of foam for some time.
AROMA: Almost equal parts Belgian yeast, hops, and brett. Malt character appears hay-like with a faint creamy sweetness. Hops are citrusy, with lime character appearing most prominent. Some subtle pine character to the hops as well. Mild spice notes smell of subtle coriander and a dash of black pepper. Brett adds a nice barnyard, horse blanket aroma. More malt sweetness comes through with strong swirl. Subtle earthy/wet hay element with an extremely faint hint of mild mushroom. Brett also seems to add an extremely faint hint of an aroma that is like band-aid flavored taffy – which some may find off-putting, however, because it is so mild I was neutral to it.
TASTE: Wet hay malt with barnyard character, Belgian yeast, light spice, and hops that appear to exhibit a lime character. Some light tartness that is lemony. Brett also seems to add a faint element of earthy dirt character. Finish has hop bitterness complimented by hint of mild brett tartness – quite an interesting interplay (ie, the contrast between the subtle tartness causing slight puckering on the front of the palate and the hops almost simultaneously causing bitterness on the back of the palate – really activates the tongue). Bitter finish extremely faintly resembles biting a dried lime peel.
MOUTH FEEL: Crisp – almost reminds me of Duvel Green (though Mischief Gone Wild is somewhat less quaffable due to the complexity as well as the higher abv). Lively carbonation. Medium bodied. Fairly dry finish. Extremely subtle alcohol.
OVERALL: Brett adds a pleasant rustic dimension, especially to the aroma. In a way, similar to some saisons. Aroma much more bretty than taste. Just a tad more bitter of a finish than preferred. Recently had Red Barn Ale (saison) by Lost Abbey on tap and for some reason this beer reminds me of it – except Mischief Gone Wild is much better and seems less sweet. Limey hops combined with the faint lemony tartness also somewhat reminds me of Bière De L’Amitié (Green Flash & Brasserie St. Feuillien), which has the most prominent lime character of any Belgian/Belgian-style GSA/Tripel I’ve tasted. To be honest, it is somewhat difficult to distinguish if the hop taste is lime-like or if the perceived lime character is, in part, coming from the mild citrusy tartness imparted upon the ale by the brett. Overall, complex and delicious.
Spring 2011.
My review on RateBeer:
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (56) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 26, 2011
750 mL bottle. Baudelaire iO: Blend 2, bottled 1/12/11. Poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours deep burnt orange tone of amber with ruby hues. Large head is 2+ fingers, off-white cream colored with pastel pink hues, medium retention duration, and leaves pleasant amount of lacing for some time.
AROMA: Sour. Rose petals definitely discernible. Strong hibiscus on nose. Rose hip aroma is a bit earthy, like moist dirt. Rose floral aroma is natural, rather than perfume-like. Lemony citrus acidity. Subtle strawberry-like aroma. Faint chalkiness. Extremely faint vinegar. Hint of malt backbone that has honey-like sweetness.
TASTE: Sour palate is characterized by concentrated hibiscus with lemony citrus notes. Hibiscus and rose hip dominate taste. Tangy. Subtle earthy (ie, branch/bark-like) character that is fairly bitter. Rose petal taste is quite faint on back of palate. Acidic finish is a combination of concentrated hibiscus as well as some sour lemony citrus taste. Light chalky dryness on finish as well. Extremely faint malt sweetness.
MOUTH FEEL: Quite dry. Lighter side of medium body. Plenty of carbonation. More alcohol perception than expected for this abv.
OVERALL: Extremely delightful aroma. However, palate is a bit harsh. Perhaps could use bit of age to mellow out. Possibly some light tannin harshness present - presumably from grain husks. Nonetheless, overall fairly pleasant taste. Quite sour for a saison; though this was expected given that it was brewed by Jolly Pumpkin. The branch-like earthiness and bitterness came as a surprise. Unique and interesting. Bit pricey for amount of enjoyment (irrespective of abv). Final thoughts: Sour, hibiscus, bitter, and tree branch. This much interplay between sour and bitter seems rare.
Winter 2010/2011.
My review on RateBeer:
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (53) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 13, 2011
750 mL bottle. 2008 Vintage. Barrel No. 96. Poured into Duvel tulip. Best before: 10/08/13 (on bottom of bottle).
APPEARANCE: Pours light copper with burnt orange and light caramel brown hues. Hazy. Head is 2 fingers, pillowy, light tan/khaki colored, and has relatively large bubbles. In fact, color of head and size of bubbles is like injera. Head retention mid length.
AROMA: Vinous. Sour. Dark red fruit (pomegranate, cranberry, and some cherry). Subtle oak and vanilla bean. Apple cider. Faint sea aroma (ie, salty ocean and seaweed, etc.). Extremely faint chalkiness – much more subtle than most sours.
TASTE: Tart. Dark red fruit (pomegranate, cranberry, and some cherry). Sour apples. Extremely faint oak. Light graininess on finish. Subtle dark grape juice characteristic in background. As warms up, element of vanilla (that also has faint taste of white chocolate) as well as faint wet stone-like earthiness emerges on palate.
MOUTH FEEL: Lively carbonation. Only slightly dry - less than expected, which I found to be positive.
OVERALL: Predominantly sour taste is nicely balanced with some light sweetness. Elegant. Perfect for a hot summer night. Drinks like a sparkling pomegranate juice with light alcohol; feels healthy to drink. Highly quaffable. Unsure that the Vintage is worth the price premium over the readily available Grand Cru.
Winter 2010/2011.
My review on RateBeer:
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (50) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 7, 2011
750 mL bottle. Batch No. 67. Poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours translucent pale straw yellow. White head is about 1 finger, has short duration, and exhibits some relatively large bubbles.
AROMA: Sour, lemon, lemon drop candy, perfume, dry hay, kitchen herbs, allspice, and faint barnyard.
TASTE: A Berliner Weisse with a bit more body than traditional for the style. Mildly sour. Lemon is prominent. Slightly less sour (ie, puckering) than expected. Notes of hay. Some light kitchen herbs on finish. Seems that some of the oils from the lemon verbena are discernible.
MOUTH FEEL: Slightly less carbonated than traditional Berliners. Slick (ie, slightly oily) texture throughout, with semi-dry finish that appears even drier due to the light herb character on the finish.
OVERALL: Found the lemon verbena usage slightly undesirable as it leaves a bit of an off, faint herby character on the otherwise pleasant dry finish, and that this characteristic seems to linger for quite a bit. Interesting interpretation of the style. Quaffable.
Cuvée Brut. Sour Ale/Wild Ale. Liefmans (Moortgat). Oudenaarde, Belgium.
Winter 2010/11.
My review on RateBeer:
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (48) - San Diego, California, USA - MAR 3, 2011
750 mL bottle. Cork has the year 2010 on it. Best before: 8/2020 (per top of cork cage). Poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours hazy deep amber with burnt orange and pinkish ruby hues. Off-white head has pale pinkish-purple hue, about 1 finger high, and decent duration. Surface foam quite bubbly (eg, looks similar to injera). Some brief lacing.
AROMA: Robust aromas of oud bruin and tart cherry. Personally greatly enjoy this straight-forward aroma because of my fondness for tart cherries. Seems that small portion of the cherry aroma has a perfume-like cherry scent to it. Faint hints of floral sweetness, chalk, vanilla, and earthiness; though aroma is largely just sour brown ale with tart cherries – exactly what it is meant to be.
TASTE: Moderately sour with plenty of tart cherry. Faint hints of vinegar, copper, and light grain on back of palate/finish; though almost entirely masked by the sour brown and tart cherry flavor. Well-balanced between sweet and sour.
MOUTH FEEL: Crisp. Lively carbonation that is champagne-like. Highly quaffable. Semi-dry finish.
OVERALL: Given my keen enjoyment of tart cherries, greatly appreciated this mildly sour ale. Excellent aperitif. Although unable to discern many pronounced characteristics beyond the oud bruin and tart cherry, this was an extremely enjoyable, straight-forward beer.
Winter 2010/11.
My review on RateBeer:
3.3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
AHTOH (41) - San Diego, USA - FEB 16, 2011
355 mL bottle poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours deep orange amber. White head is about 1 finger with medium duration. When head settles, it leaves nice layer of film on surface.
AROMA: Lambic, molasses, tart fruit, grain, hay. Faint hint of chalk on nose as well.
TASTE: Brown sugar throughout. Front of palate is brown sugar, molasses, some candy-like apple. Mid palate is abundance of tart taste. In particular, notes of tart green apple and tart cherry. Back of palate is tart with faint grainy dryness. Finish is complex interplay of sweet, somewhat dry, and tart; with most emphasis on the tart character.
MOUTH FEEL: Lively carbonation. Crisp. Semi-dry. Highly quaffable.
OVERALL: My first faro. Interesting. Complex interplay of sweet and tart. Starts sweet and progresses towards tart. Better suited as a session ale sipped during the daytime, ideally at a cafe. Molasses notes would allow this faro to pair well with bacon (i.e., during brunch, etc.). Another reason this beer would be suitable for brunch is that it could substitute for a mimosa during the meal because of its slightly acidic yet sweet nature. In fact, if I were to exaggerate, would say this faro is like a mimosa with a little maple syrup mixed throughout - though in a very delightful way.
Winter 2010/11.
My review on RateBeer:
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (34) - San Diego, USA - FEB 1, 2011
750 mL bottle. Poured into Bruery tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours bright, deep gold. Color seems to have a faint hint of burnt orange/blood orange hue. Emits plenty of light, though has a bit of hazy character. Some bubbles make a brief presence as beer poured into glass, however, these bubbles disappear very quickly leaving zero trace of any foam.
AROMA: Vinous, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, mild floral vanilla sweetness evident when smelled a littler further away, subtle sour white grape juice scent, and faint hay-like funk. Unable to pick out much oak aroma.
TASTE: Huge sour lemon citrus on front palate. Subtle grape (almost like a faint version of a grape candy [eg, purple grape Jolly Rancher) on mid palate. Barely noticeable alcohol warmth on back of palate; which is largely masked by sourness. Back of palate also seems to have an extremely faint Welch’s grape juice taste in the background. Finish is more sour, little bit of funk, and a hint of straw-like grainy dryness. Upon carefully focused inspection, there does seem to be an extremely faint bit of smokiness on back of palate/finish (presumably from the char of the oak barrel).
MOUTH FEEL: Mild. Low carbonation. Alcohol well masked by sourness. Refreshing. Pleasant semi-dry finish.
OVERALL: Excellent sour. Wonderfully complex aroma. Grape is fairly identifiable in taste. Highly quaffable and thirst quenching – almost too easy to drink for the ABV. Would make excellent aperitif.
Winter 2010/11.
My review on RateBeer:
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
AHTOH (25) - San Diego, California, USA - JAN 9, 2011
650 mL bottle. Poured into Duvel tulip.
APPEARANCE: Pours a deep burnt orange color, which has a trace of ruby hue to the color. Translucent. Frothy white had with medium duration retention. Minimal amount of lace remains stuck on some of glass after head settles initially. Noticeably quick effervescence from center of glass bottom, almost champagne-like.
AROMA: Big sour aroma. Slight dry chalkiness. Hibiscus is faint and seems floral and fragrant in an artificially perfumey way instead of a more natural sense. Subtle honey-ish/floral malt sweetness hidden under predominantly sour nose. Some vinous funk. Trace aroma of herbal vegetation among tart stone fruit as it warms up a bit. May be difficult to pin the hibiscus exactly in a blind tasting.
TASTE: Front of palate is predominantly vinous taste with subtle hibiscus and floral notes in background. Mid palate is sour, citrus, lemon. Dryness seems to begin to appear on mid palate. Back of palate and finish is pleasantly smooth and subtly dry. Finish has a trace of alcohol warmth.
MOUTH FEEL: Smooth with medium carbonation and semi-dry finish.
OVERALL/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Unlike Rosee d’Hibiscus (first tried three days before this one), which is a much lighter brew that is like a Berliner Weisse with a big hibiscus flavor and that is an excellent refreshment ale, Vrienden is more of a stronger Belgian-style sour with quite a subtle amount of hibiscus and a beer that is best enjoyed while sipped at a much slower pace. If you want to taste what hibiscus would taste like in a craft beer seek out Rosee d’Hibiscus first.
