Off Color Brewing Eeek! 2018

Brewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Off Color Brewing Taproom (The Mousetrap) in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale, 5.5% 

Reported IBUs: 10

Taking Miller High Life and turning it into a Wild Ale is basically the most genius thing ever. About Off Color Brewing:

Off Color Brewing is a brewery founded in 2008 according to their Facebook, or 2014 according to their website, or 2013 if you follow their release party and the logical timeline. It really doesn't matter, I suppose. What you need to know is that this brewery is the brainchild of former Goose Island barrel guru, John Laffler, and former Two Brothers brewer, Dave Bleitner. The duo are both graduates of Siebel, and share a passion for brewing exotic, off-color beer. For more info, check out the brewery's ABOUT page.

Miller High Life is my go-to adjunct lager. And evidently, it holds up pretty well in a blind tasting. The guys at Off Color are a fan too:

Off Color Brewing Eeek! 2018

"For years whenever people asked what our favorite beer was we'd say High Life. (And not only because they'd send over cases of High Life when we said it.) A couple years ago we approached Lisa Zimmer at Miller about brewing a collaboration together. Big meets small. Technical acumen and resource meets magic and wishful thinking. Because at the end of the day, we're all brewers. Beer is beer and it's high time the trope of us vs them is replaced with an understanding of how big and varied the world is. There are more things in the heavens and earth, Horatio, than dreamt of in your philosophy.

Turning such a big ship takes time but Lisa was relentless and John was stubborn and cases of High Life kept showing up at the brewery. Then in June of 2016 we went up to Miller in Milwaukee to learn the secrets of the Lady in the Moon, brewed a ludicrously small ten barrel batch of High Life on their pilot system and drank a bunch of High Life. Needless to say, we were giddy. Shortly thereafter, Miller's R&D brewers came down and we brewed Eeek here in Chicago...and drank a bunch of High Life before drinking even more High Life at Sportsman's Club. Our first batch was released in October 2016. Imagine our glee in presenting your Batch #2 this March.

As High Life is a pinnacle of technical brewing expertise, we went rustic AF for Eeek, blending all of our wild acidic and funky mixed cultures together with house lactobacillus and set them loose on base High Life wort. After a month of unregulated primary fermentation, we turned on the jackets and lagered Eeek for an additional three weeks before bottling conditioning with Champagne yeast. Because, obviously."

This one punches in at 5.5% ABV, 10 IBUs; packs Pils and Pale malts; and features "light-stable hop extract." The yeast is a blend of "wild indigenous yeast and acidifying bacteria." 

dat logo tho

The pour is exactly what you'd expect...a pale yellow, hazy, beer with a short-lived white head. There is some gushing courtesy of the champagne yeast, and this is spritzy and lively in the bottle.

The aroma is an awesome explosion of sour flavors against classic High Life. That is to say, you get that super sweet adjunct lager note, pils malts for days, and then tons of blueberry, yuzu, wet rain, lemon, lactic acid, melon, hay. Off Color suggests pineapple and tangerine, which are present as well. Hay is definitely kicking around. It is super funky and smells "rustic as fuck."  

The taste mirrors the nose in the best way, and adds in tons of spritzy carb and JUST the right amount of acid. The flavor is exploding with yuzu and wet rain and barnyard/hay. There's melon and guava and some light citrus salad. Apple slaw notes are evident and you still taste the base beer's pils malts. 

Everything that ruins High Life is resolved with the acidity and sour yeast. Namely, this isn't cloyingly sweet and doesn't become punishingly sickly once you get past 12oz. It's light-bodied with good depth, duration, and complexity. Up front is carbonation, wet rain, yuzu; the mids get a bit more creamy and fruity; the back end retains spritz and finishes with lingering High Life.


Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

The price tag leads me to believe this is an expensive and difficult beer to brew (or inoculate). On the other hand, this breaks Off Color's other beers and High Life. I just want more of this. If this came in a 4-pack of cans I would have my fantasy summer beer. I could drink this 24/7. While mowing my lawn, while driving my kids to soccer practice....etc.

Random Thought: Chicago might be Pale Lager mecca. Between Old Style, PBR, Schlitz, etc...but High Life is still my king.

Une Année Xellensis

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ) bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Batch #X151)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Belgian Inspired Blond Ale, 8.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

More Midwest shelf turds. About Une Année:

Une Année Xellensis - unsexy photo FTW

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

The Xellensis is a Belgian Inspired Blond Ale brewed with Brett. The bottle reads, "A not sweet blond, brewed exclusively with brettanomyces bruxellensis. This ale will go the distance-provoking your senses and only growing tougher over time. Are you up for the challenge?"

This pours into a blonde-orange body, kicking up a lot of thick, foamy, white head. There is a storm of carbonation in my glass, like Duvel. Head retention is good.

The aroma here is funky, chalky, uniquely Belgian, and Brett. I'm getting a lot of apples and wheat, big yeast esters, pineapple, leather, some earthy funk, must/chalk, and some fruity and spicy phenol notes. Peaches.

Oh wow...this is really nice. I wasn't expecting this. This is a lot thicker than I was expecting. I'm also not getting as much Brett as I thought I would. The Brett comes out as mild and fruity, with apples and pineapple. This has tons of tropical fruit notes, with pineapple, peaches, pear, and apples. There's a bitter kiss of Brett at the back end, with some wheat. This is rich with tons of clove. It kind of reminds me of Pipework's Pineapple Bling. This takes the Belgian thing to an extreme, and reminds me of Duvel and various other Belgian beers. 

 Better photo...

I'm digging this. This is one of the better Une Année beers I have had to date. I don't know if it as good as their Tripel or Quad, but it is pretty close. It also hides the 8.8% very well. This is creamy, full-bodied, and moderately complex. While the complexity could ratchet up, the rest of the beer holds up for the style. I'm wondering if throwing this in your cellar for a year or two would result in some additional Brett complexity. That's my one caveat with many of Une Année's offerings...they all seem like they could benefit from aging a bit longer.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is a solid beer, I'd love to revisit it with some age on it. Really, the base beer is a fantastic Belgian Strong Ale. It's approaching that top-shelf echelon. If the Brett was dialed up a bit, this would be an easy 4.5/5.0. 

Random Thought: I'm really looking forward to Une Année's sour program.

Une Année Esquisse

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 0.9 FL OZ) bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Batch #ES1)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

More Midwest shelf turds. About Une Année:

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

The Esquisse is an American Wild Ale. And that's really all the bottle says. This pours into a hazy, pineapple-orange/yellow body, kicking up a couple of fingers of orange-tinged head. There is lacing and good carbonation. I was warned this might be a bottle bomb, but I opened it with no issues. 

Une Année Esquisse

On the aroma: impressive Brett funk, with peaches and fruit, and maybe a dash of lactic or acetic character. The Brett notes in here drift from butcher shop to leather, with some burnt hair and plastic/rubber in the mix. The less appealing Brett notes come and go quickly, and don't obstruct all the juicy fruits, stone fruits, and pineapple-peach sweetness. 

This tastes very much like the aroma...the main character here is the Brett, with loads of peaches, stones fruits, juicy notes, and pretty substantial malt backings. The funky Brett notes in the aroma are not as present in the taste...in fact I'm getting a lot more hops. This doesn't really dial up any lactic or acetic acid character, so my guess is this needs some time in the bottle. I'd like to grab a second bottle of this to age for a few years.

I'm going to keep this short because this is a very simple beer...it's yummy though, as are most beers that pile on the Brett and embrace the fruity/tropical side. This is medium-bodied with good carbonation, and has good palate depth and duration. Everything is in place, except this could/should be a bit more complex. Such is life. Up front: pineapple and juicy notes; the mids roll into more Brett funk, some malt backings, and more fruity notes; the back end trails with lingering fruit and funk. It's a fruity beer, and has a nice finish. It's drinkable, I just want more.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. I'm pretty sure I am going to go pick up another bottle of this to age for a bit to see how it develops and changes. Otherwise, this is yummy stuff. Not a bad start for Une Année.

Random Thought: Apparently I love lamb. Greek food is awesome, but it needs to be done right.

Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, .07oz bottle) bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled in 2014; barrel numbers 271-275)

Style/ABV: American Stout/Wild Ale, 9.9%
Reported IBUs: ????

More Destihl Sours woo. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

The Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout is a sour double stout, aged in oak barrels. And that's all she wrote.

This pours into a dark brown, cola color, kicking up two fingers of tan tinged head. There is nice lacing, and even some decent head retention. It's not opaque or pitch black, and I wouldn't expect it since it was aged in a barrel(s) for some time.

Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout

The aroma on this beer is awesome. I'm really surprised that Destihl has cranked something of this quality out, and it does justify the price. Their Wild Sour series is fun, but doesn't compare to the extent or complexity of a beer like this. This has an aroma of rich oak, leather, tons of acetic acid, red cider vinegar, and tons of oak-cherries and cherry cola. There is also an underlying coffee and chocolate note, and a fat malt base creeping.

This tastes delicious, like a blend of a Stout with a Flanders Red. It's very different than something like the Black Metal. There's a lot of chocolate and coffee in here, but it keeps rounding back out to big oak flavor, cherries, acetic acid and apple cider vinegar. There's a ton of shades of fruit in here, and the oak and barrel are a big character in the beer...which is what you want. Yum.

This is riding the line between medium and full-bodied. It certainly approaches a fuller feel as it warms up. Palate depth is awesome, and this has great duration and depth. I feel like the complexity leans towards the barrel and acetic acid notes a bit, but when I was sharing this with my girlfriend, she easily identified "coffee" in the taste. It's an impressive beer, and it feels and tastes like a beer that has been aged for a while in barrels. It's just an impressive package and experience. I get a lot of acetic acid, cherries, barrel, and sourness up front; that melds into these really rich chocolate and coffee notes, with some oak and barrel coming along for the ride; the back end fuses the chocolate, coffee, cherries, oak, and barrel...it's quite harmonious and actually really tasty. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Wow this is a real surprise from the Midwest. This is about as authentic as the barrel-aged/sour experience can get, and this beer melds a fantastic sour/barrel character with this bitching stout base. Just fantastic stuff, all around. I am truly impressed. 

Random Thought: Destihl might be yet another sleeper hit in the midwest. Mmmmm.

Marz Community Brewing Company Bubbly Creek Yuzu

Brewed By: Marz Community Brewing Co. in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Berliner Weiss, 3.0%

Reported IBUs: 10

Chicago breweries have apparently hit critical mass in the past six months, so I feel obligated to try something new. About the Marz Community Brewing Company:

The Marz Community Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery launched in 2014, and was a project started by brothers Ed and Mike Marszewski, along with a handful of professional and amateur brewers. The website credits several "members of the Colletive," including Alex Robertson, Mike Marszewski, Pete Alvarado, Johanna Wawro, Michael Freimuth, Doktor Kazys Ozelis, Eric Olson, Ed Marszewski, Mike Redwick, Malread Case, Tom Piekarz, Eli Espinoza, and Tim Lange. This is like a football team or film credit roll, and I'm sure their list of contributors will expand. The brewery's POV is that they are a collective comprised of home brewers, professional brewers, and artists, that have united to make small, artisanal batches of beer. And that's all you really need to know. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

Marz Community Brewing Company Bubbly Creek Yuzu

The Bubbly Creek Yuzu is a Berliner Weiss-style beer brewed with yuzu. And it pours into a hazy yellow-orange body, kicking up a finger or two of that perfectly white, tightly packed, Berliner Weiss head. It's a good looking beer, with lasting carbonation.

On the aroma: a lot of mild-mannered lactic funk. The lactic notes in here include some buttery/oaky sourness sans the barrel of course, with tons of lemon, lemon tree, lemon tree leaves, wet rain, a faint pineapple note, some fruited candies, yuzu, and light wheat. This smells vibrant for a small 3.0% package.

This is actually really delicious, with simple and clean wheat, yuzu, and lemon profile, running against appreciable lactic funk. The lactic funk is well done, and there is nice griping sourness here, but it isn't too sour or too funky. 

For 3.0%, this has a surprisingly substantial body. I'd go as far as to call this medium-bodied, thanks obviously to the wheat. Despite the appreciable body, this is incredibly refreshing and drinkable. Palate depth is great for the style, and complexity is good too. There's a lot of juicy lemons and yuzu up front; the mids roll into a softer and sweeter fruit, with some candied lemon notes and wheat malts; the back end drops mad wheat notes, with some faint cracker/biscuit malts. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a nice offering from Marz, and I hope they keep this around because I would happily pick this up again. Noice. 

Random Thought: I have a bunch of Deschutes' shelf turds that I'm debating to review. 

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Flanders Red, 6.1%
Reported IBUs: 15

More Destihl Sours woo. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

The Flanders Red is is an "acidic, sour ale with an initial impression of tart cherries and sour candy." 

This pours into a hazy, murky, dark ruby red/auburn body, kicking up two fingers of brown-tinged head. It looks like cherry juice, or your typical Flanders Red. There is good lacing on this one, and solid head retention.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red

On the aroma: a surprising amount of malty goodness. I'm getting cherry, brown bread, bready notes, and some coffee? What? There is definitely a Brown Ale aroma thing going on with the nose, with some hints of dusty cocoa as well. There is some faint berries and vinegar sourness in the back of this, but the aroma is mildly sour. 

This is straightforward, and does taste much like an American Brown Ale base that has been given the 12-step Flanders Red treatment. I'm getting big cherries, light vinegar tartness, lots of acid, and some nuttiness, toast, bread, and hints of dusty cocoa and coffee ala an American Brown. It's intriguing, albeit without any crazy Brett funk or oak character. Actually, I don't even know if this is aged on wood. It tastes slightly oaky, but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me + the acid and sourness messing with my head. The sourness in this beer comes in spurts, and isn't bad at all. 

This is medium-light bodied with above-average complexity. Palate depth is good, and I'm finding this to be pretty enjoyable. There is a nice balance between the ABV, body, carbonation, and sourness. I'm kind of digging how the base beer here is an American Brown Ale...it's like a new twist on this classic style. Up front: sour cherries, red cider vinegar, some burgeoning malts; the mids roll into the malts, with that Brown Ale base; the back end features lingering malts, dusty cacao, bread, faint coffee, sour cherries; and the finish is surprisingly dry. Good acidity, okay sourness.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. Solid shit, I would buy this again in the can. It would be nice to see this just sitting around on shelves. Food pairings here include grilled meats and poutine. 

Random Thought: These Destihl 4-packs are like $10? Pretty solid deal, IMO.

Jolly Pumpkin / Anchorage Calabaza Boreal

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

Purchased: 750ml bomber bought at Fischman's Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Sour/Wild Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

An American Sour/Wild Ale brewed with grapefruit peel, juice, and peppercorns, aged in oak barrels, and bottle conditioned? And brewed in collaboration with Anchorage Brewing? Oh my, yes, yes please. About Jolly Pumpkin:

Jolly Pumpkin has three enterprises: a restaurant, brewery, and distillery located in Traverse City; a cafe and brewery in Ann Arbor; and a factor for their Artisan Ales in Dexter. The brewery itself was founded by brewmaster Ron Jefferies. Ron began brewing professionally in 1995, and quickly became known as a respected brewer among the Michigan craft beer scene. In 2004, Ron opened Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is known for brewing beer that is aged in wine barrels containing brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is a naturally occurring yeast that is typically unwanted in beer because it imparts a "sour, leathery, barnyard, horse funk" profile. When used properly, beers made with brettanomyces can have desirable flavors. These flavors are often found in Lambics and Geuzes, and more recently in American Wild Ales.

If you are not familiar with Anchorage Brewing, they are a brewery based out of Anchorage, Alaska. The brewery was founded by brewer Gabe Fletcher sometime around 2012, and has since been kicking ass and taking names. Check them out on Facebook, or whatever. The back of the bottle of Calabaza Boreal reads: 

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you. -Nietzsche

When introspection fails, it's time to look outward for inspiration, perhaps Northward! One of the people who inspired me this past year is my friend Gabe Fletcher, of Anchorage Brewing Co. We brewed this beer together. I hope it inspires you. Northward!

Jolly Pumpkin / Anchorage Calabaza Boreal 

Warm regards, 
RON"

This is the most stereotypical blank slate beer you'll find in appearance. It looks like any number of Saisons or Belgian Ales, with a slightly hazy, well-carbonated, yellow/orange body. There are two fingers of fluffy, cloudy, white head. As the head drops off you get some nice lacing...blah blah. Is there anything shocking here? No. 

The aroma is anything but a stereotypical blank slate, however it does have that characteristic Jolly Pumpkin aroma with huge oak, vinous barrel character, pineapple Brett, massive orange/pineapple, and tons of tropical funk. The grapefruit takes the Jolly Pumpkin Brett-barrel character to some absurd level, like Minion in Twisted Metal. This layers on some faint medicinal notes, with layers of Saison-like white and black pepper. If I had to guess, this was dry-hopped pretty well; this has a quality similar to Orval, with lots of Brett funk juxtaposed with grapefruit juice and giant citrus hops. There is maybe a mild sulfur note on the nose as well. 

This is pretty solid stuff...it reminds me of Orval. It's a hoppy, juicy beer. This strikes a nice balance between that Brett funk, grapefruit/pineapple Brett, and juicy hops. The grapefruit juice pushes this over the top, and the addition of peppercorns adds some much needed complexity which shows up as peppery spice. This is reminiscent of a Saison in some ways, dialing up orange and grapefruit sprinkled with pepper. 

I'm a big fan of this beer, but this isn't doing anything that I have not experienced from Jolly Pumpkin before. But if you love the combination of that super dry, Brett funk, combined with giant waves of grapefruit and orange...well, you will be right at home here. And I'm drinking this beer kind of young, my guess is this will be fun to age. I bet this will be pretty funky in 1~2 years. Having said all that, this is incredibly drinkable at 7%. Palate depth is fantastic, and this has low to moderate complexity. This opens up with huge waves of Brett-infused pineapple, orange, and grapefruit; the mids roll into grapefruit juice, pineapple, white and black pepper, spice, and light woody tannin presence; the back end dials up huge dryness, with lingering hops, Brett, light Brett-aspirin notes, and lingering funk. This is winey and vinous. Fantastic stuff, really.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is whimsical and delicious but it's not exactly pushing the envelope. Then again, does this need to push the envelope? As far as fruit beers go, this is done really well. The addition of the grapefruit juice is non-intrusive. Food pairings here include peppery dishes, pickled things, strong cheeses and meats, and pizza. 

Random Thought: I love Jolly Pumpkin. They are maybe one of my personal favorite breweries...certainly in my top Midwest breweries. It's a damn shame that they are so underrated on a national level. And if you really want to get the full Jolly Pumpkin experience, you need to drive up to Michigan and check them out. 

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale

Brewed By: Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California 

Purchased: Single 12.7oz bottle (375ml) bought at Friar Tucks in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Flanders Red Ale, 5.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

This beer hurt my wallet. Hopefully it will also hurt my enamel. About the The Lost Abbey: 

The Lost Abbey is part of the Port Brewing Company, and is located in Stone Brewing's old brewery location. The Port Brewing Company/Lost Abbey emerged from Pizza Port in 2006, and now operates independently. There is a lengthy history page on The Lost Abbey's website. The main story goes: back in the day, Vince Marsaglia (owner and co-founder of Pizza Port) was interested in brewing American-made Abbey style beer. In 1997, Vince joined forces with brewer Tomme Arther who worked to brew some awesome Belgian beer at Pizza Port. In 2005, when Stone Brewing moved from their San Marcos location, Vince, Tomme, Vince's sister Gina, and Jim Comstock founded the Port Brewing Company. Port Brewing opened in May of 2006, and the rest is history.

Today's beer, the Red Poppy Ale, is a "celebration of sour cherries." This beer is brewed from a brown ale base, and is aged in oak barrels for over 6 months. This American-Style Flanders Red is released in limited amounts, and costs an arm and a kidney.

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale

On the pour: a rich and hazy, dark brown, red-tinged body. This one kicks up two fingers of deeply brown-tinted, reddish head. The head has good retention, with a pinky's worth hanging around. This beer is also appropriately carbonated. It looks like it has had that barrel clinic, and this would fit right in among a lineup of Flemish Reds. 

There is great scratch and sniff action here, with deep layers of oak, sour cherries, and wood barrel on the nose. There are deep malts in here, with caramel sugars, cola, and cherry sweetness. The deep malts play off Brett funk, weird band-aid funk, and acidic pop. I'm getting red apple cider vinegar, acidic wood, and tart cherries. There are cherry tannins in here, with cherry skin, and some light jammy fruit notes. This aroma is actually quite complex, and surpasses some recent sours I've had, including the Love Child No. 4.

Hmmm...this is, all things considered, kind of a restrained beer. I'm getting nice lactic sourness, with some apple cider vinegar, sour cherries, and granny smith apples. There are some nice oak and Brett notes that round things out, with good wood in the mix. The back end is actually quite soft and malty, with more wood, Brett funk, oak, cherries, cola, and even some caramel sugars. At this point, this isn't the enamel-ripping monster I expected to get it. It's kind of balanced and constrained with the fruit maybe adding some sour notes and sweetness to the overall mix.

All things considered...this is light and drinkable for the style, with a medium-light mouthfeel. At 5.0% this is basically non-intrusive and non-alcoholic. Palate depth is okay and complexity is pretty high. This isn't overtly sour or aggressive...it's kind of balanced and constrained. Up front: tart cherries, sour cherries, lactic acid, sour wood, apple cider vinegar and sour apples; the mids roll into sour cherries, jammy fruits, growing malt sweetness; the back end drops oak, band-aid funk, wood, sweet caramel, and a nice dry finish that leans on the malts. Nice.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is really good and has nice complexity...I just wish it was a little more assertive. It could even benefit from more overt fruit notes. I think in that respect, this beer falls short compared to something like...Goose Island's Madame Rose. Or even their Juliet or Gillian. If you are going to go with the cherries...really embrace the fruit. This beer's maltier leanings mean it will pair well with grilled meats, duck, and maybe even a slice of cherry pie to really bring that cherry flavor home.

Random Thought: As a Bears fan, I am concerned right now. That is all.

Hanssens Oude Gueuze

Brewed By: Hanssens Artisanaal in Dworp, Belgium  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4oz) bottle bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (bottled September 2012????)

Style/ABV: Lambic Style - Gueuze, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I picked up this beer on clearance at Beeennnnny's for like $15 or less. Hopefully it doesn't suck. About Hanssens Artisanaal:

Hanssens Artisanaal is a brewery based out of Dworp, Belgium. The brewery started back in 1896, when Bartholome Hanssens bought an old dairy farm, and started the "Saint Anthony" brewery, brewing brown table beer using water from the stream behind the brewery/farm. During World War II, the brewery was compromised. Following the war, Bartholome shifted focus to brewing lambic beer. In 1929, Theo Hanssens took over the brewery; and in 1931 he turned the space into a house where he designed bottle drying racks and other features which are still in use today. Theo was succceeded by his son Jean in 1974. On January 1st, 1998, Hanssens Artisan BVBA was founded by Sidy Hanssens. In addition to brewing a Gueuze and Kriek, the Hanssens introduced the "Old Beitje," or strawberry lambic, to the lineup in 1999. For more info, you can check out the blurb on the brewery here.

The Oude Gueuze Lambic is a legit Gueuze: a blend of various Lambics that are matured for up to three years. This is then bottle refermented for conditioning and aging and all that jazz. 

Hanssens Oude Gueuze

As you'd expect, this yields a hazy and beat up orange body in the glass, kicking up a finger or two of off-white and short-lived head. The head does settle into a nice cauldron effect, and there is some nice carbonation here. It looks pretty standard. I will note that the cage and cork came off comfortably, but also seemed secure. This also didn't even think about gushing.

This has some pretty intense sourness on the aroma, with lactic lemon, pickled fruits, white cider vinegar, and deep notes of sour lemon candies, intensely sour green apples and cherries, tangerine, orange/lemon, and a faint and chalky note that is reminiscent of chocolate. This is also quite funky, with some musty cellar, old attic, and Brett coming along for the ride. It's like dusting off an old leather photo album.

I'm a little surprised at how this isn't quite as sour as the aroma implies. This tastes refreshing and funky, with all the lemon trappings and musty basement funk you would expect. It is sour, but the sourness is manageable. It kind of reminds me of a "natural" sourness, if that makes sense. Like biting into a green Granny Smith apple. This has nice lactic lemons, tangerines, white grape notes, and some hints of dusty and sour cherry/lemon candies. There's a big wet rain and basement funk character, and the finish is surprisingly bright and refreshing. If this is truly a 2012 vintage, it is drinking pretty nice right about now.

This is medium-light bodied, with above-average complexity and good palate depth/duration. As this warms up, the funk starts to crawl out of the woodwork. I'm also picking up some nice woody notes as I work through this. At 6.0%, this works as a sipper. That's a nice thing, especially since a bottle of this isn't cheap. I feel like the discount price of $15 that I paid is right on the money....I'd have a hard time paying a whole lot more. I digress. Up front: tart fruits, lactic character, wet rain, woody funk, lemons, tangerine, white grape; the mids roll into that dusty cherry and lemon candy, with some big wood character, wood tannins, more fruity notes, some jammy fruits; the back end drops Brett funk, funk, wet rain, basement/attic funk....pretty nice and the finish is fairly refreshing. This is super dry on the finish and pulls at the enamel. Not as sour as the aroma leads on but still pretty intense.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. A solid Gueuze for sure...this is actually really delicious, and has some nice woody tannins and funky character. It also opens up a bit as it warms up, and drops some really solid sour fruity notes when it is a bit cooler. This would pair well with mussels, seafood, white pasta, a nice crostini or bruschetta, or pasta with some strong cheese on top. 

Random Thought: Tomorrow night I will park my ass on the couch and watch some football. Realistically, I gotta pick Seattle....but it should be a good game. 

Off Color Fierce

Breewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Berliner Weiss, 3.8% 

Reported IBUs: 3

Tonight's beer makes a strong case for why session beers rock. About Off Color Brewing:

Off Color Brewing is a brewery founded in 2008 according to their Facebook, or 2014 according to their website, or 2013 if you follow their release party and the logical timeline. It really doesn't matter, I suppose. What you need to know is that this brewery is the brainchild of former Goose Island barrel guru, John Laffler, and former Two Brothers brewer, Dave Bleitner. The duo are both graduates of Siebel, and share a passion for brewing exotic, off-color beer. For more info, check out the brewery's ABOUT page.

The Fierce is a low-ABV Berliner Weiss-style beer. This beer is brewed with Pils, Wheat, and Flaked Wheat malts; features "a little" hops; and uses some kettle souring for that slightly tart and sour note. More specifically, this features an "overnight kettle souring with our house lactobacillus culture, the wort emerges furious at what we did to it." This one is fermented with saison yeast. 

Off Color Fierce

This pours into a hazy, melon-yellow color, almost like a murky Reisling. It's hazy and well-carbonated, yielding a finger of white, fluffy head that hangs around after the pour, leaving lacing like my loser kids leave their loser friends around my house. If this mash got the clinic, it looks it. Except that it is a Berliner...the kid gloves wheat beer of soured beers.

On the aroma: big lemon, wheat, big straw, funk/barnyard, faint malts in the form of cracker/biscuit, and some nice pineapple. There's a wet rain note, and you get some of that lactic funk, with some definite sour mash coming through on the nose. 

This is fantastic, with lemon-pineapple and wet rain crashing against that lightly funky lactic mash. It's like drinking Greek Yogurt spiked with lemon. The lemon dives into notes of citrus, pineapple, maybe a dash of orange and grapefruit...it's all rounded out with some wheat and straw notes. 

The wheat malts really build as you work through this...they provide just enough density to substantiate the body, but it's light citrusy and incredibly drinkable at 3.8%. Like...it's almost a shame this comes in a 4-pack, but I know that this takes work to brew. This has great palate depth and duration for the style, and it's complex too. Up front is a nice blast of sour mash, sour lemon, lactic punch, wet rain, and big pineapple/lemon; that rolls into wet rain, wheat, straw, some more orange/grapefruit, nice attenuated citrus notes ala a white wine; the back end lays on some nice bread/cracker notes, with malts, and then finishes dry and pleasant. This is really quite nice, and super drinkable and refreshing.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...I love this style and this is a fun, tasty brew. Would buy again. I mean really, at $9 a 4-pack...you can't go wrong with this. And the 4-pack format means you can take this to a party or barbecue and drink the whole damn thing! And you won't even get that drunk. Nice. Food pairings here include fruit salads, maybe white fish...lighter foods. Good.

Random Thought: Dat glass defect, right?

Boulevard Love Child No. 4

Brewed By: Boulevard Brewing Company (Moortgat) in Kansas City, Missouri

Purchased: 750ml bottle (1 Pin, 9.4oz) bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (batch #L14077-2, best buy 03-2016)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/American Sour, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: 8

I'm really pumped for tonight's beer. I've heard this one is super sour and funky fresh. I have very high hopes. About Boulevard:

Boulevard Brewing Company hails out of Kansas City, Missouri. They have a very nice website that is cleanly formatted, informative, and is not loaded with Java and Flash scripts. The company was founded officially in 1989, but began in 1988 when founder John McDonald began construction of the brewery. In 2006 the brewery had a major expansion, which allowed for additional brewing capacity. You can find more info on the brewery's history HERE. According to Wikipedia, Boulevard is the largest craft brewer in Missouri, and the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States.

The Love Child No. 4 is a barrel-aged wild ale brewed with Lactobaccillus, Brettanomyces, and whatever wild critters decided to show up. Most of this blend was aged in oak barrels, with a blend of beer ranging from 16 months to 6 years old. Part of the blend was aged for 11 months in stainless tanks, souring on Lactobacillus. This one punches in at 9% ABV and 8 IBUs.

Boulevard Love Child No. 4

This pours into a dark red/brown body that is hazy and oak-aged. It's battered and the faint orange tones are straining to be noticed. The beer does kick up an impressive three fingers of caramel head that rapidly fades into the abyss like the orange hints. A ring of carbonation settles around the edge of the glass, and the beer sizzles away with crackling carbonation. This is incredibly carbonated with numerous streams of tiny bubbles going up, and swirling the beer yields glossy alcohol legs with minimal lacing. It's very Flanders Red-esque.

On the aroma: the first thing jumping out to me is huge waves of oak. There is a lot of oak and wood tannin in here, with acidic funk standing out as the next main note that I am getting. This has incredible layers of cherries in the aroma, with sour cherries, sour cherry candy, black cherry Warheads, and apple cider vinegar. There is also a good amount of Brett funk lurking in the mix, with basement and attic funk, and buttery-oaky notes playing off the oak and wood. It's just a fantastic meld of sourness, funk, and oak, with serious fruity notes that border on being jammy.

Holy cow, this is sour! This assaults your palate with overt sourness: apple cider vinegar, oak, wood, lemon, tart cherry Warheads, citric acid and nectarines, and piercing lactic funk. There's some other stuff going on here too. This has some nice vanilla notes lurking beneath the sour, with oak and wood. There are also nice waves of tart and jammy cherries, apple slaw salad, peaches, and even some apricot funk. The back end hits the back of your mouth with some hints of malt. This is fantastic.

This is pretty high on the sour scale, with a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel that is made easier to drink by the sourness and carbonation. The alcohol is completely hidden, and this is pretty easy going. I'd call this a sipper, but an easy-going sipper. Palate depth is fantastic, and the complexity isn't far behind. Up front: sour notes, apple cider vinegar, lactic punch, lemons, sour nectarines, black cherry Warheads; the mids roll into serious oak and butter, vanilla, wood, nectarines, jammy fruits and cherries, Brett funk, more oak, wood; the back end drops oak, vanilla, malt sweetness, and the finish is dry. This is subtle, complex, funky, and not very sweet...I like it.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew  on this. This is incredibly complex and funky, with notes ranging from oak and wood tannin, to lemon and nectarines, to jammy cherries and sweet malts....it's a well-crafted beer, and you can tell that the blend was put together with some thought and finesse. This also has the potential to age in the bottle, making it obtainable and probably one of the best mainstream American sours. I'd recommend not pairing this with anything...sip on this one, enjoy it. It's really good.

Random Thought: Boulevard going mainstream = the best thing ever. I love Duvel. 

Lake Effect Pamplemousse

Brewed By: Lake Effect Brewing Company LLC in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 2014 (Batch #152)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Fruit Beer, 5.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Oh jeez, more Chicago breweries? About Lake Effect Brewing: 

Lake Effect Brewing is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery was founded by 
Clint Bautz and Lynn Ford back around 2012. 

The Pamplemousse is so OG it doesn't have a website...this is a "beer with grapefruit added." The bottle reads: "Ruby red grapefruit is added to our 100% Brettanomyces fermented base creating a secondary fermentation resulting in a wonderfully fruity and tart ale. Savor its refreshing and sparkly nature in a clear glass to maximize your drinking pleasure."

Lake Effect Pamplemousse

This one pours into a hazy, lemon-juice/Lifesaver candy color, kicking up a finger of rapidly fading white head. There is some active carbonation in the mix, but it is buried beneath the murky body. This looks like a Berliner Weiss or a Gueuze or a Radler. Pick one and throw things in that random direction. The spotty, soda-like head retention is unclear in its intentions, and the beer looks very similar in low and bright light.  

On the aroma: not a whole lot. It's amazing what the abscense of hops and sugars does to a beer. This reminds me of a Berliner, with faint funky wheat, gym locker, and sweaty sock. There isn't any real lactic character present, and I wouldn't expect it. This never veers into cheesy cum sock land, or whatever you do in your free time. Fucking weirdo. There is some faint grapefruit and melon notes on the aroma (watermelon), hinting at grapefruit soda. I dunno. Let's see how it tastes. 

Wut...this literally tastes like seltzer water meets flat carbonation meets flat grapefruit. I'm not really getting a whole lot of Brett or funk in this. It's kind of heavy on the palate even, especially for 5.5%. This kind of pounds your mouth with nondescript honey and apples notes. It goes juicy, but more like pear and apple juice than tart and crisp grapefruit. I have no idea what the bottle is talking about when it references "Brett bases" and "fruity and tart ales." That's just outright lying. Come on. 

This is possibly the blandest beer I've had this year. And I'm a guy that appreciate the simple things. I like finding nuances in boring Pale Ales and Pilsners. This though...the mental gymnastics required to describe this beer is rough. Palate depth is not particularly intriguing. Complexity is zero. Mouthfeel is medium-full with honey-like sweetness and dull, watery fruit juice. This promises so much: Brett, grapefruit, tartness. It's like Justin Bieber's transition from a lesbian into a criminal. Or something. Up front: watery juice, honey; the mids roll into apples, pear juice, water; the back end is watery and juicy. The carbonation is lacking, but if it was more carbonated it would literally be club soda. This makes the Petrus Oud Bruin look like a flavorful banger. 

Rating: Below-Average (1.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Below-Average. This is just...underwhelming. I hate throwing beers under the bus, but the bottle literally says: "Ruby Red Grapefruit is added to our 100% Brettanomyces Fermented base...resulting in a wonderfully fruity and tart ale." Well, there is nothing "wonderfully fruity and tart" about this beer. Sorry. More so, Brett isn't sour. Brett is funky. Grapefruit juice can definitely be tart...but you need to add a substantial amount. I dunno. This is a huge disappointment at $11 a bottle. I could not recommend this beer in good faith. There are so many better Berliner Weissbiers, Sours, American Wild Ales, and Radlers that execute this approach much better. This flat-chested, apple juice-box preteen mess should be shelved. 

Random Thought: I have another beer from Lake Effect hanging out in my fridge...a chance for redemption. And if that beer doesn't work out I'll give one of their more standard beers a shot. I realize that brewing sours, Brett beers, and fruit beers isn't easy. But seriously, if you put words on a bottle you gotta back that stuff up. This isn't 1985. The 2014 craft beer scene is full of breweries cranking out amazing fruit beers; sour or otherwise.