Action-Reaction
New Belgium Brewing Company

had my eye on this one for a long time, gorgeous packaging, two greats getting together, fremont and new belgium, nitro bottle, a blend of b bomb and la folie, pretty neat idea, rarely have i seen this sort of thing, so i was especially thankful when i was gifted a bottle recently out of the blue. these were mad expensive. i had way higher hopes for it too unfortunately. the nitro part is weak, not sure if thats a product of its age or some weird new fangled bottling technique that was never great, i recall a couple other nitro bottles in this format from new belgium being a little more alive, looks more like a stout than a brown, muted luster on a close to black body, less viscous than expected, no head at all even with an aggressive pour. the nose is quite tart, like the bacterial element has run away with this a bit, tons of fruit behind the acid, fruit leather from cherries and berries, raisin, fig, prune, even black currant. some nice roast to this, the oak, and a very strange tannic element, some light nitro decay too, less of the sweetness from the fremont thread than expected, and decidedly less bourbon, more red wine sharpness to me, although a vanilla layer remains, more expressive after it warms some. the flavor is odd, nobodys favorite in our tasting group. the oak is there, some dark chocolate and espresso in the darkest grain, a weird kind of absent middle considering b bomb, a little barrel char, black tea, and an acidity thats a bit harsh through the second half, breaking this down a lot to me, and leaving a burn harsher than the alcohol in here. port wine, blackberry jam, plum wine, graphite minerality, and freshly lit cigarette all swirling at the end, warming alcohol but sourness thinning the feel. a little more whiskey as it sits, an almost english yeast aspect, blacktop sealant, roasted bitterness, light bretty funk too. not sure if its been how this has cellared or if it was never amazing, but it sounded so much better on paper than it tasted in the glass, the sourness is over the top, the finish is almost chemical, and the best parts of both beers in the blend are obscured. maybe next time. i wouldnt abandon this project if i were either brewery, so much promise here, but this isnt it...

On tap at Wildwood Taphouse

Intriguing blend of dark caramel and lactic acid, fruity dried cherries, light cocoa, chocolate, red wine. Tartness is mild on the palate, more sour cherry like, complementing the bourbon B-bomb. Light acidity, mild caramel, sticky toffee, coconut. Medium in body, soft carbonation, medium finish with sour cherry and caramel. Solid!

2021-04-04
750ml bottle shared with family. Entering from sparse notes taken earlier today.

Pours very dark, kind of fizzy. Smell is a little soy sauce, tart plums.

Taste is bitter, tart cherry, plums, soy sauce, fruit skin bitterness. The bitterness doesn't work very well with the sourness.

Mouthfeel is medium to thin, oily, slightly effervescent. Overall, it's OK.