Spontanaçaí
Mikkeller ApS

 

never saw this one in the bottle back when we were collecting these, not even sure i knew this one ever existed, maybe its newer. anyway, awesome to encounter it on tap at the mikkeller madrid location, had to have it! pretty radiant deep reddish color to this, just a little fizzy head on top, fine clarity, addicting aroma of old lambic including some oxidation, bacterial pucker, wild bretty funk, and tangy acidic berry. acai has always been a weird fruit to me, i see it everywhere but know it so poorly, always combined with other fruits, always broken down into some product, some puree or paste or extract or something, its everywhere and also nowhere in its real form, and its not all that distinct here, could pass as some combination of blueberry and black currant in the nose, maybe more red currant, blackberry, and cranberry in the flavor, especially with the base wild ale, but im not sure it ever quite has its own identity in this, or anywhere. fortunately the dosing is bold and the fruitiness is high, hints of rose petal and rose water, red wine, and raspberry also manifest, lots of oak on this, some ageing lambic ferment character, and a light and acidic body. not overly carbonated, but i dont think it needs to be in this instance, i like the pace it drinks at, and it warms up pleasantly. very tasty beer, but not one of the more memorable in this series for me, but i think thats just how acai is, like ghost fruit. awesome to see this series continuing...

 

L: Quite clear red/purple color, one finger light pink head, nice lacing, light carbonation.

S: Sour, blueberry.

T: Blueberry, sour, lots of acidity, tart. Nice!

F: Medium bodied, tons of acidity yet quite smooth!

O: Decent lambic.

look: gorgeous burgundy coloured beer, slightly hazy, pinkish one finger head which dissipates quickly to a thin layer of bubbles, lively little bubbles flowing up the beer.

smell: all the sour funky lambic smells are present, although i have mixed feelings about the açaí aroma, definitely has a medicinal quality to it, but on the other hand it is somewhat pleasant, vinous, cherry also, don’t know what to expect anyway, which is exciting.

taste: ok this is great, the lambic character in this beer is massive, a tonne of funk, a tonne of sourness, quite salty, vinegar, but the fruit flavours cut through all the intense sour flavours to create a really balanced beer, none of those medicinal flavours present, the fruit is light, sweet, and tasty, açai, blueberry and cherry, salty sour flavours and a hint of the fruit linger on the finish, it really is very nice.

feel: medium bodied, lightly carbonated, a hint sticky, as drinkable as lambic gets, but still a sipper (one which i am currently sipping from my mikkeller mosella glass hehehe), puckering sourness, totally hides its strength.

overall: a really fun and unique beer here, the first beer i’ve had from the spontan series, and from what i’ve read, and after what i’ve just tried, think i’m gonna need to try some of the other ones, great stuff here.