Obscura Arborea
Telegraph Brewing Company

Obscura ArboreaObscura Arborea
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Telegraph Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Flanders Oud Bruin
ABV:
9%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.38 | pDev: 18.93%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 10, 2015
Added:
Apr 10, 2011
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  7
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.32 by wethorseblanket from California

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by zestar from California

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by ricecracker420 from California

Mar 30, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by moonknight31 from California

May 19, 2013
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.29/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Bottle pour at the bottle share held at Chloe's inside Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Batch 77.

Pours a clear honey brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is slightly sour and tart with some fruity and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with a vinegar-like flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a high level of carbonation with a really crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that seems somewhat unrefined.
Apr 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by t0rin0 from California

Feb 27, 2013
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Reviewed by rand from California

4.08/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle poured into a Mikasa tulip glass

Batch 77

The beer is creamed-copper in appearance (if that's a legitimate color description) with a huge pillow-y head that never recedes. Tones of woodsy dank and unripe berries float about, but in the ether - the nose lingers and takes a few whiffs to pull it in.

The taste is much more pronounced with toffee-like malts playing against tart cherries. There are notes of drying oak that mix well with a subtle hop snap, keeping the sweet aspects in check. Alcohol is apparent but not aggressive. Finishes long, sweet and sour.

I don't get the low (or average) reviews here. My bottle's been aging for a little over a year (maybe longer) so that might be what 'smoothed' it out, but I don't think that's the entire reason. The brew produces a super-sudsy head, almost billowy, but it doesn't FEEL over-carbonated, something I can't stand. Over-carbing wouldn't get better with age. And I'm trying to pinpoint why the consensus feels this has a disjointed flavor profile - I'm getting a pretty smooth play of sweet and sour and bitter washing over the palate. Hmm...maybe I got a good batch? Or there's a bit of group-think here on BA? Well, no need to speculate...I've been drinking a lot of this style lately and this beer, at least my bottle, is a good example.
Nov 15, 2012
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Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
The pour is amber in color with a big white head. Aroma starts off with a mild buttery note. Notes of citrus, light caramel, oak, and vanilla. Maybe a bit of apple and pear on the nose. Sort of has a fruit flavor baby food thing going on on the palate. Lightly tart, maybe some spice, a touch of oak and vanilla. Really a strange beer.
Aug 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by CelticAleMan from California

Jul 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by jpajpajeff from California

Apr 15, 2012
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Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

2.91/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to Michael for sharing this, this beer was a mild disaster.

OVERCARBONATED WARNING WARNING GUSHER.

Beer is amber and clear with a huge off white head of small and medium bubbles with annoyingly good retention. Ugh.

Aroma is blank.

Beer has this woody, grassy, cherry, light body, complex weirdness to it. None of hte flavors play together at all. Not a repeat for me, not even very enjoyable.
Apr 06, 2012
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Reviewed by yourefragile from District of Columbia

2.82/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
750 mL bottle sent by Bauermj, thanks! Batch 77

Cork nearly explodes from the bottle, but contents don't gush. Poured out into a pitcher regardless since any attempts to pour produce a massive fizzy cream colored head. Pours a clearish amber mahogany color with previously mentioned fluffy head, and abundant lacing. Aroma and taste both carry a surprising lack of anything resembling flavor or alcohol. There is some mild cherry and vanilla hiding behind a predominant oak flavor. Light bodied with a dry finish. This beer is just...
Mar 16, 2012
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.09/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to yourefragile for sharing this bottle. Served in a SAVOR glass.

Pours a moderate caramel color with a big, fluffy off-white head and a good bit of lacing on the way down. Lots of lacing. Probably because the first few pours were 95% foam and we had to decant.

The nose carries a light bit of cherry and acidity. Some oak as well. Nothing too much. Very light. Flavor is the same. It's impressive that there is this little flavor in a 9% beer. Some light oak and a touch of cherry. Really not all that much going on.

Light body with just a touch of acidity through the finish. Interesting, but quite a bit too tame, even if it were a session beer.
Mar 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by GuruDel from California

Mar 13, 2012
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Reviewed by phichifiji00 from California

3.67/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Light brown color, tons of thick off-white head that fades slowly. The pressure in the bottle blew the cork out as soon as the cage was removed. Tons of lacing.

Smell: Tart, malty undertones, earthy, dark fruit, sour cherries.

Taste: Tart, sour cherries, dark fruit, earthy, oak, caramel, raisins, plums.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, moderate carbonation, silky, creamy, somewhat tart.

Overall: Another tasty beer from Telegraph. Not as sour as I'd have liked, but very drinkable.
Mar 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by jmechy from California

Jan 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by stevefinny from New Jersey

Jan 23, 2012
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.83/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
on tap at The Blue Palm. A nice drinker for the style. Sour yes but very well malted backbone. Light brown and very lacy, something fine to look at. Sour and wild. Oaky, why I like these beers. Still decent mouthfeel. Satisfying. Suitably carbonated.
Jan 22, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by bauermj from Illinois

Jan 02, 2012
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
750ml brown bottle, batch #77.

LOOK: Lively carbonation, big head. Hazed brownish amber.

SMELL: Cooked veggies, fallen fruit, nutmeg, candied orange, musty yeast, chalk, toasted grain

TASTE: Smooth, creamy, wood, lemon grass, cellar funk, highly toasted malt, nutty yeast, chicory, sour candy, broth, faint bandaid, nougat, mint, bone dry finish.

Yup, it is a sour beer though not as mellow as what a Oud Bruin should be. I'd love to see another year or two on this bottle to see where it would go.
Dec 23, 2011
Obscura Arborea from Telegraph Brewing Company
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 39 ratings