DAM Wild - Hops and Lemon Verbena
Flat Tail Brewing

something weird is going on here, as i had this on tap at payette yesterday, and it mentions nothing of flat tail brewing, i know they do a ton of contract brewing here and slip a lot of them into their tap lineup, sometimes presented as their own, which was the case here too, im pretty sure it was poured from a payette handle, and this BA listing says the place is closed, not sure if payette is trying to resurrect this brand or what the deal is, i wish they were more clear about that, but the beer is fantastic, well ahead of expectations, and frankly better than most of the aura sour stuff payette does on their own. i love the combination of the hops and the lemon verbena, but equally importantly this ferment seems more interesting than just a lactic kettle souring, its got some funk and even a sort of mature woodiness to it whether it was treated that way or not, it shows as more complex to me, but really well refined at the same time, pretty cool. frothy white headed from the tap, remarkably effervescent and almost creamy looking, good and pale, a light orange tone to the beer, and an awesome nose that hits on clean citrus, gin botanicals, and lemongrass, really sexy, the verbena is fresh and identifiable too, and the hops are aromatic without being green or bitter, and do i perceive just a little brett to this? the flavor is killer, quenching and with a decent pucker but not too intense to be drinkable at all, a vanilla note that sort of seems oaken to me, clean acidity, lemon range, and some funkiness too. dry at the end, a modest and earthy grain base underneath, and the hops seem juicy on the finish with the tartness, awesome interplay of flavors and textures, seems super fresh and dialed in, impressively good. i can totally see why this one has been so well decorated in the past. i hope we get the full story on this beer and these guys and whats going on at payette, but for now its cool to be able to drink something new over there thats at this level. really good sour here!

 

Slightly hazy yellow-gold pour with a white head. Nice sour aroma of lemon and funk. Taste is tart with a nice acidic lemon flavor. Can also taste a bit of citrus and earth that keeps the flavor from being overly tart. Light bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

A: Lemon zest, light earthy funkiness and tartness.

A: Golden color, clear, with a light fluffy white head that has solid retention and lots of lacing in the glass.

T: Fresh lemon peel with candied lemon drop sweetness with a crisp finish and a faint earthy tartness that lingers with a semi-dry finish.

M: Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: Very tasty; the beer is crisp, refreshing and has a great fresh lemon peel character without being acidic, making it easy to drink.