Vin Lee
de Garde Brewing

Vin LeeVin Lee
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From:
de Garde Brewing
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
9.7%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.29 | pDev: 9.79%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
156
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 23, 2022
Added:
Feb 03, 2014
Wants:
  88
Gots:
  14
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by acurtis:
Photo of acurtis
Rated by acurtis from New Jersey

4/5  rDev -6.8%

May 31, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.96/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
bottled december 2021, a neat brew, although also a little weird. in my experience their wild or spontaneous or sour red bases have never been as impressive as their more pale foundations, and that is true again here, although im not sure its the malt throwing it off. if this came from just about anyone else i think i would have been stoked on it, but my expectations for de garde stuff are so high, i think i wanted a little more from this, especially after being so impressed with other grape beers in their repertoire. aged three years in oak with syrah grapes, sounds mighty promising. the color on this is murky dark red with the malt and the grapes combining to color this pretty intensely, its hazy the whole way, fizzy and active but not keeping much head in the glass. it smells wild and crazy, definitely spontaneous, but much different than others of theirs on the fermentation side. for me its almost medicinal, iodine and hospital corridor, farmhouse funk meets odd astringency, its tannic from all the fruit, its plenty woody, but there is this slightly almost chemical element to it, a little sulfur too, not agreeable to all in our sharing group, but intriguing to me. red raspberry and blackberry notes along with the juicy grapes, definitely wine rather than straight fruit though, subtle cedar and white pepper nuances too, lots going on and way out there. the flavor is fruit driven more than malt, although the richer grain can be appreciated at the core of this. seems pretty old, even a little oxidized for only being in the bottle a year. more iodine and funk, quite sour too on the palate, heavy red wine and wood meet light toffee and toast notes, a vanilla wrinkle, black tea herbal bitterness, antiseptic, iron, some definite terroir from the grapes, but also cranberry, old brett, and wet paper. super interesting beer, not their most refined, acidity pushing the vinegar realm, but i love how much the syrah comes through, and i think the weird ferment is kind of endearing after it warms up a little. a touch on the rough and ready side for these guys, but clever and different. sour and bitter at the same time, uncommon in beer this fruity.
Dec 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by cp45 from New Jersey

Dec 29, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.95/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Consumed June 11, 2016. My bottle says 7.4%, not 9.7%.

Pours a mixture of red, brown, auburn color, clarity totally obscured, its like there is some earth up in this and no centrifuge to be found, didn't really amass much of anything in the way of a head on it. Damn dare I say this is a below average appearance for a wild ale? Thankfully the aroma clocks in much better, lots of red wine notes on it, dark fruit, cherry, earth and tree notes alongside Tillamook pasture.

Taste is one of the best red ales out there. Its almost equal parts red wine and red ale, but the souring and acidity are positive aspects compared to the malty heft of a standard red ale. Red ale, red wine, flanders in equal parts. Finishes dry, cant say that about too many red ales (or wild ales for that matter). The barrel/wood did some neat things to finish the beer up, lighter, more lively and dry than I ever thought it would wrap itself up in. Do it, jump in the fire.
Jun 05, 2020
Photo of rand
Reviewed by rand from California

4.34/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750 mL bottle into a Rare Barrel wine glass

Just pulled this out of my cellar...no date stamp but it’s got to be 4-5 years old.

Dark, tawny-red, sudsy, with a sticky head that never fully recedes. Visually effervescent.

Aromas are full of grape and oak, some lemony acid and a touch of funk.

Flavors follow, although more sweet-and-sour than expected. Raspberry nuances touch red wine vinegar, with plenty of drying oak. Finishes short, crisp and clean.

Wow, this is really tasty. Time in the cellar had done this brew well - it’s become jammy-sweet and exceptionally drinkable.
Jul 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by paresis from Massachusetts

May 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by Ajlvt from Washington

May 12, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by oline73 from Maryland

May 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.09 by IckyT2012 from Florida

Mar 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota

Mar 14, 2017
Photo of gibgink
Reviewed by gibgink from Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured and shared with the wife on 3-1-17. Pours a translucent light reddish brown. Some funk and wood on the nose, but mostly acidic in the profile. Ever so slight sweetness on the initial presentation, and there is a real burst of the same acid flavors upon tasting, but not the typical accompanying heartburn feel that I normally get with sours.
Mar 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by JeanJacketLover from Massachusetts

Jan 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Oct 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.84 by missings0n from Connecticut

Sep 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by rlee1390 from Indiana

Jul 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by Steban from North Carolina

Jul 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by PassMeAZima from Kentucky

Jul 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by HeartofMiami from Florida

Jul 03, 2016
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purple raspberry color.

Nice grape flavors. Not too grape forward though. Very sour and tart. A little acidic.

Medium bodied. Mouth puckering.

Solid dG beer but not my favorite.
Jun 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.98 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Jun 18, 2016
Vin Lee from de Garde Brewing
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 156 ratings