SPON - 3 Year Blend (2017)
Jester King Brewery

 

It is blended from three different vintages 2014, 2015, 2016 of 100% spontaneously fermented beer.

Look: orange to light brown with a half inch off-white head

Aroma: toasted crackers, lemon, pear

Flavor: The flavor is toasted crackers, lemon, pear, and brett funk, maybe some pepper too. It is pretty tart with some bitterness and it reminds me of a geuze.

Body/Overall: Medium body, I think it is very good and it can definitely compete with a good Belgian Geuze.

definitely have commented on a few numbered releases from 2017 under the method traditionelle listing of spon in the past, but just dipped into numbers 1 and 4 from 2017, now five years old, and i think they warrant extended dribble here under the specific vintage heading, surprised each number doesnt have its own listing to be honest, i guess some of them do, but this should be catalogued as each blend is definitely unique, as are the vintages. these aged as well as i think we all hoped (and kind of knew) they would, way more like lambic now, more green glass, more funk, more effervescence, but still so unique to jester king, as much as some of the fermenters do hit like the authentic belgian beers in this style. i love how bretty they both are, i think number four has a little more of the older beer in the blend, but these both present like well aged gueuze, big white wine, oak, and lemon notes up front in the nose, not overly acidic either one of them, and they have hints of new tobacco, golden raisin, and aromatic wood like sandalwood or palo santo burning or something, adding to their allure and maturity. more similarity than difference between these, maybe the 1 has a little less oxidation, and maybe the 4 is a little more sour, but they both ebb and flow a lot as they warm, and i have not had them both in my cellar for the same amount of time, think i picked them up at different times too, so who knows what conditions have done to them, but both are just magnificent, better now than they were fresher, maybe less intriguing on the wood side than i found in number 3 from 2017, but more familiar as lambic at the same time. fully wild, aged hops on display, hyssop and lemon balm herbal character, some bitterness at the end, light vanilla in the 1, green apple in the 4, both expressive in mouthfeel and almost addicting because of all the fermentation nuance. i think this is the oldest i have had any of these bottles, when did the spon series start? loving how these are evolving, no rush to drink them from this age if you have them, they seem to be still changing very favorably. safe to say this was a killer year for these! i think i have had all but number 5 now...

 

 

 

 

L:. Pours a brilliant orange gold color with a small white head and no lacing on the glass. Beautiful beer.

S:. Strong Brett funk, lemon, lime, slight roasted crack, some pear and orange beautifully mingles with a light toasted cracker. Smells tart and sour, a lot going on here but it all works really well together.

T:. Strong Brett funk, a Belgian spiciness, notes of lemon, pear, orange, pepper, a very strong tart sourness, finishes fairly dry.

F:. Light to medium body, lively carbonation on the tongue.

O:. This is a fantasticly complex sour and really tasty.

 

2017 Spon 3 year blend #4