Brett Sea Legs Baltic Porter
Uinta Brewing Company

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 12/16/2016. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart/sour red/black cherry, raisin, plum, cranberry, blackberry, lemon, green apple, red grape, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, toasted oak, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted dark bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and fruity/funky/light acidic yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart/sour red/black cherry, raisin, plum, cranberry, blackberry, lemon, green apple, red grape, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, toasted oak, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted dark bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light fruity/lactic tartness, roast/char bitterness, and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/sour cherry, dark fruit, berry, lemon, green apple, red grape, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, toasted oak, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted dark bread, light leather/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and fruity/funky/light acidic yeast flavors; with a great malt/tart/bitter/spiciness balance; and zero puckering, acrid, or astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from tart/bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/silky, and lightly acidic/tannic/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.2%. Overall this is an excellent wild Baltic porter style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and fruity/funky/light acidic yeast flavors; very smooth an easy to drink for the ABV, with the mildly lactic/tannic/spicy finish. Really spot on for the style, despite being sour. Rich malt complexity; nice funky/fruity Brett/Pediococcus and rye whiskey barrel presence; and not overly lactic or sour at all. A very enjoyable offering. I am sure the age has helped the wild/funky development as well.

 

Where one sees complexity, another sees conflict. That's the dialogue that the wildly fermented baltic porter of Uinta conducts with the tastebuds early and late on the palate. Its yin and yang of roast versus tartness plays out with a tone of curiosity and intrigue.

The dark and sourish ale comes dark brown and cast is a foggy haze. Its froth floats the beer with a dry honeycomb structure and moderately long staying power. As the aromas swirl, its a medley of dark fruit, toast, cocoa, nuttiness and wine. Toasty malt flavors strike first in flavor as the robust dark grains impart coffee, cocoa, toast char, roasted walnut, and a brief toffee sweetness.

As the toasty and toffee sweetness subsides, the fruitiness and sourness of yeast begins to override the grains for a taste that quickly turns lemony, lime-like and with dark cherry, red grape, currant, cranberry and blackberry. A musty upstart translates to a winey and woodsy finish with a bold grip of cabernet, oak, peppercorn and an overall soilish character.

Medium full in body, the beer's heft comes with the dark malt impressions and the imperial strength that it brings. Balsamic, sherry and spent coffee grounds trail into a malty dry finish and a long linger of campfire char, a roast derived astringency and a dry cidery twang. Roast and sourness turns out to be too much for balance and fight each other down to the bitter end.

 

 

From a 750 ml bottle with a bottling date of 16-12-2016.
WARNING: I generally dislike the effects of Brett. This beer is no exception although I find the effect tolerable.
Rich, funky flavor with hints of leather, coffee, over ripe soft fruits, vanilla, and some light spicing.
Full, smooth body.