Nelson Sauvin Brut (Chardonnay Barrels!)
Mikkeller ApS

 

From the big wire wrapped bottle in a snifter. This solid little wild ale
pours a murky brown tinged wet straw color with a nice head of white
foam that settles to a thick ring, thin layer, and displays some excellent
sudsy lacing. Nose of white grapes, subtle oak, faint vanilla, light candy
sugars (as in Belgian), and moderate earthy farmhouse yeast funk. Flavors
follow the nose with exception due to presentation. Funky yeast and
vinous grape notes mingle with oak and light acidic notes tamed by
sweet candy sugars and light herbal notes with touches of vanilla and
white pepper. Nice mouth feel; medium body, medium light carbonation,
and a lightly sweet, yet tart, funk laden finish.

Overall; a solid little wild ale I would have again and I am no fan of
the style by any means, but this----this is solid!

Cheers

Quite tart and seemed a little off - hard to tell since there wasn't a date printed on the bottle. Pours a murky rusty color with some fluffy white head that settled to very nice sheets of sticky lingering lacing. Smells of malt, lots of musty funk, some yeast, muddled hops, a little tartness. Tastes similarly, seemed overwhelming musty and ripe, not enough sweetness. Too acidic. Smooth mild slightly sticky mouthfeel, decent carbonation. Just a confused beer, and I really wished I knew when it was bottled.

 

 

330ml can - I like the use of an exclamation point in the name here. More barrel-aged product that comes in a can, will wonders never cease.

This beer pours a slightly hazy, medium apricot amber colour, with four fingers of puffy, rocky, and gently bubbly ecru head, which leaves some spattered snow rime lace around the glass as it lazily dissipates.

It smells of sour wild raspberries and strawberries, some funky yeastiness, muddled tropical fruit notes, uric-leaning white wine, gritty and grainy pale malt, and some minor wet woodiness. The taste is bready and crackery pale malt, underripe mixed berries, tart exotic fruit (pineapple and some sort of melon), more sassy south-seas white wine essences, still kind of funky yeast, damp barrel wood, and some well understated earthy, musty, and dead grassy hoppiness.

The carbonation is average in its palate-pinging frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and so-so in the smoothness department, as the varied tart and funky elements just don't seem to know how to play nice here. It finishes trending dry, but still good and fruity and woody, with a thankfully waning funk factor.

Overall, this is a fairly engrossing and ingratiating version the style, with the robust fruitiness saving what would have just been another banal and boring funk-fest. And kudos on the essentially AWOL 18-proof wowee sauce quotient, I sense that it will eventually sneak up on me, but for now, everything's grand.

355ml can into tulip 21/9/17

Sexy looking stuff, I struggle to get the can into my glass, the foam condenses to a thick finger leaving rings all the way down. tropical punch nose, mango, papaya, catty notes, over ripe pineapple, with a funky, woody, thing lingering in the background with a handful of jujubes and Swedish berries.

L: Burnt orange color, originally poured a nice head which fades quick. Slightly hazy, cannot see through the glass
S: Very complex, light tart aroma, think raspberries and strawberries, wine/grape, sweet. Some dark fruit as well. Lightly funky.
Light toast in there as well.
T: Subtle and complex flavors, I get raspberry most prominently, though it is not robust, lends a touch of sweetness. Midway through the palate is a dry malt grainyness, and it finishes with some wine-like grape and a dry hop grassy flavor. All around the flavors, while light and subtle, are incredibly balanced, especially in conjunction with the aroma
F: Carbonation is just high of medium, body is medium, not light but certainly still drinkable, although I don't want to slam this, I want to sip/savor it. Mild astringency on the finish
O: Expertly crafted beer, tons of stuff going on here, little touches of various flavors/aromas, but everything balanced well to create an excellent drinking experience. Sort of drinks like a champagne, for sure.

 

 

Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip.
A: Pours a hazy, and slightly dark, yellow-orange hue with massive 3+ inch billowy/frothy off white head with excellent retention.
S: Wild yeast funk, white pepper, red berries, white wine, earthy spice (cinnamon, all spice, and more), and a hint of leather. Wow...hard to pin this one down!
T: Soft citrus hits first, quickly followed by the wild yeast funk and earthy spices (cinnamon especially), then the red berries and white wine hit, and it finishes with a clean white pepper note and a burst of Nelson Sauvin hops. A few sips into this one, the finishing hop notes become stronger, adding a wonderful exclamation to an impressively complex brew. With warming, the berry note becomes stronger and a melon note emerges (De Proef--Is this your doing?!).
M: Medium body...drinks a bit lighter than the ABV. Mild fruit sweetness. Some tart and funk from the wild yeast. Mild hop bitterness emerges in the finish. Subtle vinous feel.
D: A truly impressive brew. The various notes are restrained (nothing is going overboard or too crazy here) and yet perfectly orchestrated. What a treat this Belgian wild ale aged in chardonnay barrels is! Seek it out!