Flamboyant Wild Red
Arbor Brewing Company - Plymouth Taproom

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2010 vintage. Broke my oldest corkscrew opening it. Pours lightly hazy deep ruby reddish/orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, fruit skin/seed, peach, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, red/green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wood, leather, cork, musty/lacto funk, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, nuttiness, toasted biscuit, light peppercorn, oak, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/acidic/funky/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, fruit skin/seed, peach, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, red/green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wood, leather, cork, musty/lacto funk, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, nuttiness, toasted biscuit, light peppercorn, oak, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tart/sourness, tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy red/black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, fruit skin/seed, peach, plum, fig, date, apricot, pear, red/green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wood, leather, cork, musty/lacto funk, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, nuttiness, toasted biscuit, light peppercorn, oak, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/acidic/funky/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/sourness, tang, and yeast/oak spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tangy/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is an amazing Flanders red ale. All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/acidic/funky/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; not overly lactic/tannic. Amazing balance of Brett/bacteria complexity, oak barrels, and a nice sized dark/bready malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on top tier style example. Held up amazingly well for the age, with no cork failure!

 

 

25.4 oz corked and caged green bottle [note: label says 12 oz - a typo]

2011 Vintage

Flamboyant Wild Red Ale poured a reddish brown/mahogany hue producing the slightest of heads that dissipated almost immediately to a broken ring of bubbles circling my snifter. The nose is mildly acidic dominated by sour cherries. The taste matches the nose with a stronger acidic [vinegar] flavor of sour and tart cherries that lingers. Medium-bodied with a complex palate that has sharp acidity and dryness. A light almost prickly sensation on the palate is noted. This ale drinks almost wine like.

Flamboyant Wild Red is my first tasting of the Flanders Red Ale style. Well, I am not sure this style is for me. I am not a fan of the acidic, sour and tart flavors that the style is noted for. If you are a fan of the style it is worth a try if you can find it on the shelves.