Love's Armor
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales

Love's ArmorLove's Armor
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From:
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8.1%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 8.17%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
183
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 27, 2022
Added:
Feb 20, 2013
Wants:
  63
Gots:
  22
Love's Armor is a blend of two complex, barrel-aged beers, Farmhouse Noir, a darker and stronger take on the Saison style, and Chavez, our Rye Porter. In the depths of this blend are full notes of chocolate and coffee, stone fruit and vanilla, and fainter wisps of tobacco, smoke, and worn leather. A dry tartness pervades, providing an area for robust interplay between malt-driven sweetness and microbe-induced funk. Deceptively potent and flavorful, Love's Armor is meant for sharing, and will compliment the heartiest of meals. While shimmering now with flavors of redolent of fine wine, encouraged to nature, Love's Armor will reward patience. Sante!
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Rated: 4.24 by Dactrius from Netherlands Antilles

Jan 27, 2022
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours lightly hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy cranberry, cherry, raspberry, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, toasted oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, caramel, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, smoke, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/spicy/acidic yeast, wine barrels, and dark/rye/bready/light roasted malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge sour/tart/tangy cranberry, cherry, raspberry, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, toasted oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, caramel, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, smoke, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tartness, Brett/oak tannin spiciness, and wine tang on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy cranberry, cherry, raspberry, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, toasted oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, caramel, caramel, brown sugar, spicy rye, toasted bread, light chocolate/cocoa/smoke, tobacco, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy/acidic yeast, wine barrels, and dark/rye/bready/light roasted malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/tangy/spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tangy/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy, acidic/tangy/tannic, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.1%. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged dark sour/wild ale. All around amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/spicy/acidic yeast, wine barrels, and dark/rye/bready/light roasted malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Great soft feel for the style, mellowly lactic. Perfectly balanced Brett/Bacteria complexity, wine barrel presence/integration, and nicely rich malts. Light residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and top tier style example. One of the best dark sours I've ever had. For being a blend with a porter, expected more roast; but they still nailed everything. I would guess the bottle was a few years old just based on how well balanced it was.
Aug 30, 2019
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Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.57/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
It was bound to happen someday, but eventually, there would be a time where a SARA beer didn't live up to its cult like status; this was that beer. The concept was difficult enough for me to reconcile my head with, a blend of a saison and a porter? Have you gone mad? That sounds as train wreck-y as about anything this side of the Strange Brew festival.

Pours a light brown color. The aroma is interesting you get kind of a this flanders oud bruin/red earthiness that lays on a lighter barnyard feel and sourness. Taste hits you with some acidic burn and bitterness. Man the nose was so complex and layered, but the taste just kind of punches you in the mouth with your eyes closed. It starts to make you think about being too many things at once to everybody. A mild vinegar mouth feel and dryness leaves the less desireable traits stuck until next pour and the negative cycle or downward spiral continues. At its best, you get some cool flanders and saison aspects, at its worst, it has a bitter porter lemon juice clash going for it.
Dec 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.39 by sd123 from Georgia

Nov 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.45 by Zonian1 from Ohio

Jun 22, 2018
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Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Thanks to eyebereej for sending this one! Reviewed from notes. 2016 bottling. Poured from the 750 mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.

A: Dark brown and nearly opaque. Forms a thin off-white head with relatively low visible carbonation.

S: Malic and lactic tart, with just a touch of acetic aroma without coming across as overly acidic. Sour cherries, toasted malts. Vanilla and vinous, like a red wine tannic barrel. Some modest barnyard funk, and there are hints of chocolate in the malt bill. Nice, and a complex aroma for sure.

T: Tart cherries and malic acid, a restrained funk and a mild acetic again up front. As the tartness fades, it meets chocolate malts and red wine vinous with more vanilla and tannic oak. Dry oak and tartness in the hang.

M: Average body, maybe seems a little lighter than expected given the dark color. Good carbonation sensation. Alcohol flavors are noticeable for an American sour, but I think overall restrained.

O: I thought this was pretty tasty, interesting, and complex. I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of the sour flavors over the chocolate malts, purely from a personal preference aspect. But plenty enjoyable, and a nice balance of funk and tart and woodiness.
Jun 20, 2018
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Dark coffee brown with a fuzzy tan bubbly head.

Smell is sort of like an Asian dish with toasted sesame and peanut, and a little backing char.

Taste is smoky char, peanut, and super sour acetic red wine vinegar with a thin bubbly body and a painfully dry finish due to the acidity.
Apr 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by nataku00 from California

Dec 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by Beerbom from California

Oct 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by robgage from Pennsylvania

Sep 08, 2017
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Reviewed by bshefftz from California

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is a wonderfully subtle and flavorful wild/sour ale, complex and dark and dusky with a slight sour pinch that doesn't overwhelm the rich undertones of chocolaty malt. Very much enjoyed this as I periodically delve into sour beers - they generally aren't my thing (I don't think making beer taste like mouth-puckering vinegar is much of an art - vinegar tastes like vinegar and is much cheaper) but this is a find that keeps my interest in the category. I'll keep my eye out for more SAR brews.
Aug 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.83 by hopkrid from Florida

Jul 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.87 by dleiner from New York

Jun 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.79 by Beer21 from Florida

Jun 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by Furlinator from California

Jun 05, 2017
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Reviewed by floyd_pugman from California

4.49/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a SARA bulb. Nose is dark malt, chocolate, funk, wood, and a smidge of lemon. Looking forward to this. Palate is full of lemony funk and roasty chocolate flavor, with soft leather, vanilla and a titch of plum; delicious. The Farmhouse Noir and porter work very well together. I might like FM slightly more, but this is a really nice, balanced concoction that is mouthfilling and which my palate is not tiring of as it continues to invite me to the next sip. This outperformed expectations; will definitely buy again.
Jun 05, 2017
Photo of shleepy
Reviewed by shleepy from California

4.34/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Quite dark color. Smells nutty, chocolatey, plummy. Taste and mouthfeel is smooth, creamy; I get some Nutella in there. Tasty and impressively dry, given the flavor profile. Buy it, if you get the chance!
Jun 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.69 by Bum4ever from California

May 29, 2017
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.41/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks, Trey

A very dark brown with a thin, brown head with good retention, this looks solid. The nose is a blend of red wine, chocolate, sourness and funk, a very nice combination of an American dark sour and a Flanders red. Deep and earthy with notes of petrichor and mushrooms. There's also a really nice red wine character, fruity, mildly caramely, a touch jammy. A little vanilla is present, along with cacao nibs. Excellent.

The palate opens fruity and sour with a blend of fruity red wine, a mild caramel sweetness, leather, a complex buckwheat honey-like depth and a lactic acid brightness. The mid-palate has a little more fruit - brandied raisins, preserved cherries, raspberries - along with notes of cocoa and even a hint of roasted coffee. A little bit of mushroom and a touch of funk are present. Sweet and sour on the finish, both quite pleasantly so, there's a blend of fruity red wine, vanilla and lactic acid. A touch of vinegar is also present. Medium bodied and softly carbonated, this beer is an excellent dark sour, combining the best aspects of Consecration, Oerbier Reserva and Bon Chien.
Feb 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Dec 23, 2016
Love's Armor from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 183 ratings