Pinotlambicus
The Bruery

PinotlambicusPinotlambicus
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8.4%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 10.98%
Reviews:
59
Ratings:
131
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 01, 2019
Added:
Nov 08, 2010
Wants:
  108
Gots:
  44
A dry and vinous beer with hints of smokiness and a touch of oak. First running press of Pinot Noir grapes from Santa Barbara County were added to a year old blonde sour ale (called by many names around here, one you may be familiar with is Cuvee Jeune) and fermented together in stainless. The grape beer was then transferred to wine barrels and aged for 10 months. The beer is pleasantly tart, complex and refreshing; it can easily substitute a sparkling wine for any celebration.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DefenCorps:
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

3.91/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle that I received in a trade with womencantsail. Thanks, Andy!

When I crack the bottle, I'm greeted with a faint hiss. Poured into my Duvel tulip, Pinotlambicus sits a clear, cuprous amber with a dense, choppy, off-white head that falls off to a ring rather quickly. The nose really caught me off guard. I was expecting something good, but this an unabashed joy to smell. Reminiscent of a fresh Cuvee de Castleton in some respects, there's a blend of honeydew melon, a leathery Brett character, a mildly spicy white pepper note and quite a prominent juicy grape character. A moderate funk is present, with wet hay and some cheese. Moderate tannin character is noticeable on the nose, and there is quite a bit of lactic sourness that provides a refreshing backbone to the nose. Now, I'm not sure I could pick these out as pinot noir grapes here, as the sour base beer really does hide some of the big, fruity, jammy character that I've come to find in a lot of CA pinot noirs. In any case, this is a fantastic smelling beer.

The palate opens pretty massively tart, almost surprisingly so, with a blend of mildly yogurty lactic acid and fruity sourness, moderately mineraly in nature. The mid-palate has flavors of melon, grapes and a little honey. As it warms up, the sourness grows increasingly aggressive, but there is no real acetone character, or even acetic acid, maybe it's remnants from the fruit addition? Definitely tannic, moderately tartaric in flavor and sourness, this beer does dry out on the finish, leaving a tannic bite. Again, as it warms up, the oak character does come through, with just a little vanilla and lingering flavors of oak. Medium-light in body with soft carbonation, this beer is quite excellent, though the sourness will make an entire bottle a bit difficult to finish, especially with the ABV. Not as refined as Temptation or Cuvee de Castleton, but still a very worthy effort. I'd be curious to see where the sourness goes from here, 'cos any more and it could start getting unpleasant.

Ultimately, the marriage of the robust pinot noir grape with a pale sour base works surprisingly well, mostly due to the strong sourness of the base beer. I'd love to try to see something on the lighter end of spectrum, maybe with a NZ Sauvignon Blanc? Maybe it's time I got back to brewing.
Jul 11, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.09/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this for the first time at the Bruery's barrel tasting party on November 19, 2011, on draft. Someone brought it to March Madness a few years later in bottle.

Pours a light copper color with an off white head that gets no bigger than 1/5" before it settles into almost nothingness. The aroma is a nice throwback, somewhat like those New Glarus berliners with grapes, this drops all that grape and citrus aroma, french oak and lemony tartness.

Taste comes off as if its well hopped given the citrus qualities to it, but its not bitter or hoppy, just tastes like citrus beyond the lemon tartness. Plenty restrained in terms of acidity. Was my first wine/beer hybrid and still remains one of the best. Well carbonated. Has a mineral water quality to it without being watery. Its crisp. Grape qualities remain constant throughout. I hope they make this one again instead of making 52 versions of $60 wine/black tuesday combos.
Feb 01, 2019
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle poured into a tulip appears clear copper with no head.

Aroma is lemony lacto, bretty earth and horseblanket. This is akin to "lambic light."

Taste is tart yet citrusy and bitter with cork and earth. Dare i say even vinous still in aftertaste.

Medium in body with a light amount of carbonation. This is easily the best Bruery sour ive ever had. Everything about this beer is enjoyable and its beauty is in its subtle nuance and ease of drinking - something none of the Bruery sours of today showcase. This was a fun trip down memory lane to a time when the Bruery executed some amazing beers you wanted to drink over and over again without acid burning your insides apart.
Jul 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by shoegueuze from California

Sep 10, 2016
Photo of cvm4
Reviewed by cvm4 from Mississippi

4.06/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
So this is a 5+ year old beer that hasn't been reviewed in 2.5 years.

L - Pours a semi-opaque golden copper body with a fizzy half finger head that never sets up, it dissipated pretty much as the pour ended.

S - Big pinot noir nose with sour/tart cutting through it along with oak and mild vinegar. Really a nice nose here.

T - Juicy pinot noir grapes front and center. It's not as sour as the smell was leading me on to believe. Medium tartness, some funk/earth and oak.

F - Light bodied, light carbonation and a semi-dry finish.

O - The grapes dominate here. To me, a properly stored bottle should be holding up, but I have no clue how this was fresh.
Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by MisterKilderkin from California

May 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by Dralecg from Florida

Dec 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by AlexFields from Tennessee

Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by wolf_switzer from California

Sep 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.28 by DCLAguy11 from California

Sep 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.52 by Wolberjs from California

Sep 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Cyclone8 from Minnesota

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by drewone from California

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.34 by Rado from California

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Wowcoolman from California

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by craftbeerasian from Florida

May 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by JesseLara from California

May 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by fastpass17 from New York

Apr 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by IslandLiving from Florida

Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Rand_ale_Thor from Wisconsin

Jan 28, 2014
Pinotlambicus from The Bruery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 131 ratings