#282: Wild Beer Co. » Somerset Wild

Wild Beer Co. » Somerset Wild (Sour Pale Ale) ABV: 5.0% | Rating: 8.6

This is my first foray Wild Beer Co.'s strikingly packaged series of brews. I picked up three wild/sour ales from the UK-based crew while in Buffalo, each adding it's own unique flare. This particular, self-described sour pale is spontaneously fermented with the yeasts & bacteria found on the grounds of their Somerset orchard.

The head rises quickly, still in the bottle, stopping just short of making for some unwanted clean-up. Poured up, there's voluminous, but quickly fading white head eagerly bubbling atop a transparent, white-wine like body.

Lively champagne and dry, farmhouse cider notes are out in stride, carrying along a whiff of pale hop bitterness.

The flavors are extraordinarily tart and dry. Not necessarily astringent, instead overtly crisp and clean. Crisp Gala and other tart apple flavors quickly dance with green grape and soft lemon notes.

Somerset Wild is highly acidic throughout and looses carbonation relatively quickly. On the second glass, it's a touch sweeter with a hint of earthy tones, but still clean with just the slightest mouthcoat.

Overall, an interesting brew. Not the most notable wild, but well-executed. I can't say I've stumbled across many English spontaneously fermented brews from an orchard, so points for creativity. Recommended for any fans for Dogfish's hybrds, dry farmhouse ciders, or aridly dry white wine drinkers.

#281: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof » Leipziger Gose

Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof »  Leipziger Gose
ABV: 4.5% | Rating: 8.8

The resurgence of Gose-style brews has absolutely been one of my favorite trends of the last two-three years. Falling from one of the most popular beers in Germany, to almost extinct just a few years back; it's now on it's upswing among a diverse range of American craft breweries. They vary from savory to astringent and all the glorious subtitles in between. Leipziger Gose, from Germany, hearkens the original style, brewed with traditional ingredients plus lactic acid, cilantro, and salt.

Leipziger serves up with a darker, straw-colored body, topped by a fading, fizzy head with a touch of lace. Soft and fragrant, the nose presents a wealth of coriander with a touch of sourness. A few more whiffs even portray curious hints of fruit punch and cereal.

Down the hatch, it's smooth and drinkable; a perfect old-school balance of salt, coriander, and acidic tartness. Notes of lemon and balanced white and black pepper hang in the background, all wrapping up with a gentile mouthcoat and mildy dry finish.

A great starting point for anyone curious in getting into Goses. Not as bold as say, Westbrook's, instead a glimpse into the delicious past, from a style almost lost to the ages.

#280: Maine Beer Company » Lunch (IPA)

Maine Beer Company » Lunch (IPA) | ABV: 7.0% | Rating: 9.2/10

As mentioned a few weeks back, a stop in Buffalo isn't usually without a stop at The Village Beer Merchant, where I snagged this bottle o' Lunch.

This praised brew pours up a hazy amber color with white, fluffy head all emitting a beautiful bouquet of grapefruit alongside soft floral notes, smoothed with a mild sweetness.

Dry, cool, and refreshing, Lunch is a mid-weight IPA with plenty of character. As easy to drink as an all-day variety, but quickly diversifying with a richer with a slight creaminess in the mouthfeel.

Bitter, biting hops hit the palate up front, followed by a quick flip of sweet & smooth flavors, then back a gain with a drying finish. An effortless, well-tuned beer, Lunch blurs stone and pome fruit flavors with bold Warrior, Amarillo, Centennial, and Simcoe bittering characteristics. It's clean with distinct notes of pine appearing further in with pith & rind peaking in here and there, but never getting dank.

Lunch is highly enjoyable, but not as jaw-dropping as its reputation, in my humble opinion. That said, I'll probably pick is up any time I see it and would absolutely recommend to any IPA fan.

#279: Perennial Artisan Ales » Aria & Saison De Lis

After a lovely wedding of one of my earliest Ithaca friends and few hours destroying my fear of rollercoasters at Darien Lake, my partner and I made our way to the fantastic Blue Monk in Buffalo. This, my second time at the Belgian-inspired gastropub, I had far more time and flexibility than the first while I was on tour.

When I'd checked out their online menu, which has been updated just two days prior, there were a few Jacks Abby that were must-haves, but alas they were gone. However, I immediately shed my woes at the site of a variety of  Perennial Artisan Ales on the list.

Perennial Artisan Ales » Aria (Belgian-Style Ale w. Brettanomyces Bruxellensis)
ABV: 7.20% | IBU: 20 | Rating: 8.7

My first foray into Perennial kicks in with a fragrant nose of white stone fruits emitting from a hazy, honey-colored body, topped with thick, lacy head.

A sweet, soft flip of funk starts of the gentle palate experience. Lightly carbonated with primarily clean mouthfeel that's just every so slightly augmented with a rustic dryness. Warming flavors of green tea with honey and lemon threaded with mild notes of peach make for a delicate palate pleaser.

This brew is crafted with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, providing soft, earthy and funk notes that give Aria a twist of complexity, but don't yield much sourness or dips into the extreme. A solid first experience from Perennial Artisan Ales.

Perennial Artisan Ales » Saison De Lis (Saison brewed with Chamomile Flowers)
ABV: 5.0% |  Rating: 9.1/10

It's rare that a non-Brett beer will beat a Brett beer as follow up with my palate, but here's that case. This Saison/Farmhouse brewed with Chamomile Flowers is a downright winner.

De Lis' hazy golen body and plentiful, lacy head reals you in, quickly followed by aromatic citrus and floral notes backed by firm yeasty, bready notes.

On to the palate, this is one tasty beer, bursting with flavor. It's mildly tart and plentifully floral, with soft notes of banana bread colliding with boozy esters, despite the low ABV.

Further through the glass, vegetal notes start to creap through the refreshingly crisp tartness & bitterness along with a hint of rosemary and chamomile. A unique, recommended brew.

#241: Goose Island Beer Co. » Madame Rose 2012 (Flanders Oud Bruin)

Madame Rose 2012 (Flanders Oud Bruin) ABV: 7.1% | Rating: 9.3/10

At the end of June, I received a call from the IRS that was truly cause for celebration - Ithaca Underground, the organization I've been building for the last 6 years, had finally received 501(c)3 not-for-profit status. However, since it was just a verbal at the time, I needed to keep my lid shut for just a few more days, so it was time for some in-house celebration.

This Madame Rose is one of the first I picked up for aging while I was out in Buffalo a couple years back, so this seemed like the perfect choice to crack into and toast to. It's a Brown Ale, aged in French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with Michigan cherries and Brettanomyces. I'm so ready...

Madame Rose  kicks off with a beautiful, velvety nose of tart cherries, oak, and red wine. There's a few slightly funky aromas of sour red grape and ripe red fruits peaking through with a sliver of brown sugar.

The body is a wonderful, ruby-brown with a quickly fading off-white head.

The taste is incredible and quite reminiscent of red wine, including a velvety dry finish. It's elegant, well-carbonated and full of tart fruits like dark cherries, with a hint of mild red apples. There's a touch of sweetness and the start of each sip with is a nice detail. The carbonation level is ideal to release the beautiful oak and red wine notes.

Overall, a wonderful effort. It's not the sourest, fruitiest Flanders out there, instead Madame Rose delivers a lively, lavish beer experience with a healthy dose of wild complexity.

#030: Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)

This elusive Old Ale finally finds my pallet...

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co.(Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Curmudgeon (Old Ale)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Seasonal)
ABV: 9.8% | 50 IBUs
Rating: 9/10
Location: Blue Monk (Buffalo, NY)

The Story? I was on a bit of an old ale kick early in the year, coinciding with the pending seasonal release of Founders Curmudgeon - an old ale brewed with molasses, then oak-aged. As with any Founders seasonal, I waited with ample anticipation, but alas, the Curmudgeon season came and went and I missed out... or so I thought.

On tour, our crew decided to treat ourselves to excellent burgers and top-shelf brews at the lauded Blue Monk. Curmudgeon eased what would have been a tough decision amongst so many stellar ales.

The Beer? Aesthetically, we're met with a creamy head and caramel color, while bitter notes and alcoholic raisin waft through the nose.

Open wide and we have a powerfully smooth blend of strong malts, bitter hops, and boozy oak. The molasses is an excellent addition. Delightfully easy down. Raisin, brown sugar, a hint of earth, toffee, and oak could all appear on your taste-punch card, but all swimming together in harmony.

On paper, this old ale sounds like it would tip the sweet scale with such heavy emphasis on and plethora of malts - plus molasses - but instead, the excellent balance of hops and maturing, smoothing nature of oak-aging (a staple of all my favorite old ales and barelywines) combines to create a deceptively drinkable and deliciously balanced take on a classic style.