Between The Staves
Anchorage Brewing Company

Between The StavesBetween The Staves
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From:
Anchorage Brewing Company
 
Alaska, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 8.33%
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
289
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 01, 2022
Added:
Jan 09, 2014
Wants:
  47
Gots:
  39
Collaboration with Crooked Stave Brewing

A sour ale fermented in oak foudres with 3 strains of brett, the beer was then aged for 11 months in cognac barrels.

20 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JefferyYoung:

  None found.

 
Rated: 4.24 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Jan 01, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.74 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

Feb 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.36 by zbelair from Pennsylvania

Feb 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.96 by VaporDome from New York

Nov 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gotti311 from Wisconsin

Sep 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.16 by shehateme from Massachusetts

Mar 13, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.09/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle share from Matt. Light, effervescent, sweet, all around great. A nice break from the crowd(bottle share and tons of styles) and palate cleanser.
Jan 18, 2016
Photo of stephens101
Reviewed by stephens101 from Oklahoma

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown with a quickly diminishing tan froth. Smells tart as hell with plenty of freely floating vinegar and sour fruit notes. More balanced than expected, which is a good thing. Grapes, prunes, slight vinegar, taffy and black licorice to the tongue. Dry-ish and medium in body. Could easily get to this one again.
Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Jan 03, 2016
Photo of dar482
Reviewed by dar482 from New York

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Th beer hits of oak, fruity notes from the cognac barrel, caramel, dried plum, red berries, along with tart cherry and toasty malts. It follows with a tart vinegary quality like a Flanders red.
Dec 09, 2015
Photo of cpetrone84
Reviewed by cpetrone84 from Pennsylvania

2.51/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Pour is dark brown with off white head. Nose has an off plastic, burnt wood, booze, toasted grain, and sour cherry. Flavor is better, still overly sweet and singular. Sour cherries dominate, faint booziness, light wood, acetic acid. Soft feel, low carb, semi dry.
Oct 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by trxxpaxxs from New York

Oct 18, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
BOTTLE: Branded black hood-and-wire cap over a cork. Appealing printed-on label with intricate art. 2014 vintage. Brown glass. Batch #1 (JAN/2014).

7% ABV. 20 IBUs.

Reviewed live as a sour ale per the label. Expectations are high given the two breweries involved. Served cold into a stangenglas and allowed to come to temperature over the course of consumption.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: About 1.5cm wide. Off-white colour. Recedes inside 25 seconds - somewhat pathetic. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Deep brown colour of average vibrance. No yeast or sediment is visible. Has a nice glow about its bottom.

It's an appealing appearance for a sour ale, but is far from unique or special, and boasts no stand-out attributes.

AROMA: Brettanomyces funkiness, barnyard straw/hay, dampened oak wood, fruity must, vaguely fruity hop notes, lactic acid, and faint sourness (maybe a 3/10 in terms of intensity).

I find no overt cognac. There're also no overt hop notes, off-notes, or boozy notes.

Aromatic intensity is average. Suggests a brettanomyces-driven sour ale with a fairly simple build.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Acidic and somewhat vinegary/acetic, which coaxes out more of the oak & barrel notes. I pick up on no cognac whatsoever. There's a cardboard-y barnyard character indicative of overdampened oak barrel. Time has not been kind to this bottle. Vague fruit. Backgrounded oak. Some barrel sugars. Wine-like lychee-ish fruity acids.

Brettanomyces funkiness is present but not dominant, and the sourness isn't as bacterial or truly spontaneous/wild as that of the best beers in the style. Sourness is a 3/10 in terms of intensity, and seems tame and clinical. Hints of jammy fruit and Balsamic vinegar.

Balanced and enjoyable, with some nice brettanomyces complexity, but not a horribly intricate brew for a sour ale.

Mouthfeel is acidic but not puckering or smacky. Smooth and wet, with subtle undercarbonation (probably a result of its age). Light-bodied. Not too hefty or thick on the palate. Not syrupy, chewy, gushed, hot, booze, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy. Damp. Unrefreshing.

OVERALL: It's not the tip-top quality beer you'd hope for given Crooked Stave and Anchorage are behind it, but it's a competent brettanomyces sour ale that will please the discerning drinker. the cognac isn't noticeable at all; maybe it's reticent, maybe it's absent. Drinkable but not world-class, Between The Staves will satisfy, but won't impress. Lacks a harmony of texture and taste, and a gestalt build. But I do like it, and will enjoy finishing the bottle with company.

Low B-
Oct 06, 2015
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.52/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Deep brown with a khaki collar. Heavy brett and toasted malt. Light acidity. Taste is dark fruits and strong tartness. Heavy brett earthiness. Dark fruit sourness in the back end with some toasted malt bitterness. Medium body. Pretty interesting. I don't get any barrel, though.
Oct 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by wheresblue from Oklahoma

Sep 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by RajaSTL from Missouri

Sep 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by Jas45678 from Michigan

Sep 12, 2015
Photo of sweemzander
Reviewed by sweemzander from Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter.
(A)- Pours a very dark burnt sienna brown color with some ruby red highlights. Reminds me of port in the glass. Minimal tan froth.
(S)- Big notes of dry funky oak. The cognac is evident. Metallic fruits with a deep funk.
(T)- A deep oaky maltiness meets a complex dry funky Brett. Bits of dark fruits. Lots of Brett funk and barrel in this.
(M)- A good carbonation level. Very complex with big barrel and big Brett funk. Not overly tart, but there is some.
(O)- Anchorage always pulls off very complex and dynamic beers and this one is no different. Great stuff
Sep 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.14 by Goatdavemac from North Carolina

Aug 25, 2015
Between The Staves from Anchorage Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 289 ratings