Dark Swan
Lagunitas Brewing Company

The clear dark reddish purple beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1/2” thick pink head that visibly recedes to a ring and an irregular island of foam on the surface. Sipping creates a couple of arches and several small patches of lacing.

The aromas are mostly about the red wine grapes along with some light earthy hop character that blends in nicely. There also seems to be some malt in the background.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with the red wine grapes more up front than the hops. In addition there’s some sour tartness that is tempered by a bit of sweetness. In the background there’s some light earthy bitterness.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium bodied and slightly prickly with the finely bubbled light carbonation. The finish begins as the red grape flavors and tartness begin to slowly fade away to a long lightly bitter ending with some background tartness that goes on for a very long time.

Overall this is an interesting hybrid ale in that the red wine grapes are in charge of the show but with the tartness well controlled and a bit of residual bitterness so we’ve got both some wine-like flavors and some beer-like flavors. I’ve enjoyed trying it but probably will not do a repeat.

 

Great looking purple color. Big, pinkish head. A weird mix of barnyard and grape in the aroma. Moderately sour taste with some astringency. Distinctive wine notes. Good beer if not for the weird aroma.

Draft at the Handlebar. Pours out like grape juice, but with more bubbles. Even the smell favors the grapes, without the win-y-ness. Taste is fruity and only minor tartness. Pretty light weight despite the ABV.

everything about this beer is amazing, unsung as it is, its one of the best of lagunitas all time, weird and unexpected from them, a strong sour ale, more tart than funky, not sure if its wild but i suspect more a kettle sour thing, done with red wine grapes, petite sirah i believe, but then also rather liberally hopped with pekko hops, which were relatively unknown when this dropped the first time, so clever and awesome. stunning high saturation beet root purple color in the glass, real deep but still some shine, looks clear and well refined, and has a belgian looking inch plus of wispy just pink stained head, looks amazing! the aroma is nuts, tannic tart grape skins, weird almost candy sweetness, hints of blackberry and marionberry, lots of minerals, very little grain, and the herbal almost noble hops to me, sour but not over the top acidic, and in the apparent absence of oak, it all seems fresh and poppy, vinous with a little alcohol coming through too, more at temperature, unlike anything else lagunitas has ever done before it. the fruit drives the flavor way more than the ferment does, theres not even all that much taste to the sourness, a little piquant bacterial lemon thing just serves to further highlight the grapes, which seem so bold and so real, jammy but also winey, subtle black currant and black cherry depth to the fruit, a port wine thing even, but the beer overall is crazy light for its abv, which is not really there much in the taste, the malt is super light to me, and the carbonation is uplifting. the hops are not the first thing someone would talk about with this one, but its subtly a very unique facet of it, all on the finish, highly herbal, light lime and grassiness to them, a neat finishing touch. acidity is clean, moderate, and enhancing, maybe ever so slightly medicinal which only adds intrigue, while the beer overall is sort of tannic and even gritty from the fruit. really special stuff, done at a real high level, and something i definitely hope comes back around again. one of the cooler beer/wine hybrid types to have existed. more accessible than the expensive fully wild types, this really carves out a neat niche for itself! love it.

This one was a miss for me. Love wine, but imparting wine into beer just too bizarre for me to enjoy. While not indicative of the overall selection from these folks, hopefully the buyout doesn't ruin some of their respected brews.

 

 

 

 

Sampling a cellar temp 2017 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Ive been sitting on this as I honestly wasnt sure what to make of this one. Figured tonight is as good as any to try it.
The beer pours a dark, but clear merlot color with a fluffy and aggressive eggshell white to tinted pink head of 3 cm. This foam fades quickly to a thin edge layer and one surface island.
the aroma is very vinous with dark grapes, some tart berry notes and even a little bit of tannic notes that really push the nose towards a more astringent note. I also get some mild biscuity yeast, but no hop character and the ABV is well hidden too.
First sip, reveals a light to medium body with very fine and tingly yet spacious carbonation. Texture is smooth and a little watery.
Flavor is kind of tart with dark fruit dominating. I get red grape and raspberry, but also acidic red wine notes on the finish. I dont really describe this as sour, but acidity. I dont get any hops and the ABV is well hidden.

I admit that I dont love this beer, but it isnt flawed and it isnt mouth puckering sour either. A cool experimental beer, but not one I would try again. Only on personal preference, I dont think the beer is flawed.

 

 

Pours dark red with a creamy frothy light khaki tan foam head. Notes of lightly tart berries, raspberry, blackberry, mild blueberry and strawberry, cherry, plum, red wine, Petite Sirah grapes, mild tropical fruit, sweet citrus, candied dark fruit, hints of chocolate, toasty caramel malt, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy and slick with moderate smooth carbonation. Overall a nice sour ale fermented with red wine grapes.

 

 

 

 

Y'all are nuts. This tastes like cheap whine fermented in a prison toilet.