Sangria Ale
Brewery Vivant

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 5/21/2019. Pours very hazy deep reddish orange/copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy blood orange juice, citrus peel/zest, cranberry, strawberry, hibiscus, red apples, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red grape/wine, oak, honey, candi sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruit, hibiscus, fruity/spicy yeast, red wine barrels, sugars, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy blood orange juice, citrus peel/zest, cranberry, strawberry, hibiscus, red apples, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red grape/wine, oak, honey, candi sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; peppery yeast/oak tannin spiciness; and fruit/hibiscus tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of lightly tart/tangy blood orange juice, citrus peel/zest, cranberry, strawberry, hibiscus, red apples, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red grape/wine, oak, honey, candi sugar, toasted bread, peppercorn, clove, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruit, hibiscus, fruity/spicy yeast, red wine barrels, sugars, and bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness and tart/tangy fruit/wine balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and tart/tangy fruit/wine. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and fairly acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 9%, with no barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an excellent Belgian fruit beer. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruit, hibiscus, fruity/spicy yeast, red wine barrels, sugars, and bready malt flavors; dangerously smooth and easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; nicely soft feeling. Awesome balance between juicy fruits/hibiscus, and Belgian yeast complexity; with with nice wine barrel presence/integration and sugary/bready malt backbone. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example as expected. Will be a great high gravity beer for the summer.