De Varenne
Mystic Brewery

Very very tasty, I’m ok with the lack of carbo - it was weird not to hear a pop when the cork came off though, and there was virtually no head, etc. bit The smell was great, and the balanced level of tartness with acidity made it a pleasure to drink. To boot - how many other great wilds have you drank that have had no head and looked flat?

375ml caged and corked bottle - no discernable date (assuming -18 or '19) - poured into a long stem tulip at outdoor temperature (approx. 40F).

The caged cork pops open with zero hiss or pressure behind it, and the lazy liquid glugs into the tulip, sitting a brilliant polished natural amber hue - clear enough to make out fingerprints. Not one bit of head or effervescence is visible, though a small swirl creates a thin white collar, and some cling to the glass. (Second/final pour is quite turbid with no visibility).

Nose: Everything you want in a wild ale. This one is complex. Lots of wet hay, grass, forest floor, wet French oak, Meyer lemon peel, watermelon, green apple hard candy, pear, passionfruit, dried papaya, spearmint, Sauvignon Blanc must, concord grape, both red and white wine barrel notes, prickly pear cactus fruit, desert sage, and with a good swirl, an absolute intense phenolic aroma that simply cannot be compared to fruit or flowers. There's a perfect amount of funk - not overpowering at all, but enough to tell you this ale has a wild side. Lactobacillus and Pediococcus provide both citric tartness and acetic bite, respectively. A thin thread of grain sweetness runs down the middle.

Palate: This ale greets the palate with a subtle grainy sweetness that one wouldn't expect from the aroma. This one isn't bone-dry, though the sweetness is still very restrained. There's some citric tartness, but not nearly enough to force a pucker, and an even fainter presence of acetic bite. Once the grain sweetness and tart elements equalize, notes of stewed apple, pear, and raspberry come into focus. There's a nice citrusy presence which compliments the wet grassy notes nicely. There's nothing "green" about the ale, but there is this sort of herbaceous note that becomes more floral as the finish approaches. A fruit skin tannic note introduces the finish, which is actually a touch wet. The gentle tartness dissipates, revealing the true character of the base grains. The beer returns with a buttery woody note, before quickly vanishing, leaving just a tannic hint, and a silhouette of rustic grain.

Mouthfeel/Body: I'm not sure if the cork in my particular bottle was compromised, or if it's just a naturally lazy beer, despite being bottle conditioned, but there is not a whole lot of lively effervescence to this beer. It isn't quite flat, but it's remarkably close. There's just enough C02 to separate the texture from juice, but the effervescence in this makes a big barrel-aged imperial stout feel like champagne. It detracts a little bit from the experience, as I think an aggressive effervescence would really elevate this ale, but I can still live with it. The body itself is really quite light. Not watery, but sheer and delicate. Even with the semi-sweet nature of this, the malts do very little to add heft to this beer, which I find to be a nice attribute, though I think it would be even crisper with some more bubbles.

Overall: This is a rather difficult review. The nose on this ale is truly something special. The degree of complexity and nuance, despite being served cold is truly something to marvel at. The malt sweetness and lack of tartness was a bit of a surprise, but in no way a deal breaker. It's still a rustic wild ale in every sense of the word. I would have loved to have a bit more aggressive tartness though, which it seems they attempted to blend out. With some more pucker, this would truly be phenomenal. Still, that isn't a problem. It's the flatness that really takes away from the experience. It has the body of a beer that has been sitting out for hours. With just a bit more lively texture, I would really be impressed with this. I still am though, and if you don't mind a somewhat lazy beer, then this is still very much worth trying - at least to have the privilege of nosing it.

Look: Transparent honey golf with no head. Mild activity.

Smell: Soft lemon, white wine notes specifically Chardonnay, light tart, vanilla, green apple, mint, and a light hay funk.

Taste: Mellow tart Meyer lemon, white wine notes, green apple, vanilla, paw paw fruit, light salinity, mineral notes, with more green apple on the finish.

Feel: Wet on the palate. Medium bodied, quenching, and lightly tart. Mellow. Semidry finish. Mild sweetness. No alcohol.

Overall: A very atypical sour. Very mellow all around. I enjoyed the fun complexity of flavors and each sip had another showing through. With that being said it really could of used a bit more acidity or sourness. A bit more sour and this thing would be phenomenal.

 

 

Pours clear yellow with no head at all.
Aroma is lightly lactic and lemony.
Flavor is interesting, lemon tartness as expected but some berry fruit sweetness as well.
Totally flat, would be much more refreshing with a bit of carbonation.

 

 

I love this brewery…mainly for the interesting things they bring to each style. Even one of their recent oddities--freak scene--was one of the most interesting beers of late…but this sour doesn't do anything to join in that tradition. It's just a pretty boilerplate entry jn the style. At a high level, yes. But not at a Mystic level. Mea culpa.

 

Bottle from Colonial Spirits
Slightly hazy light golden with a smattering of bubbles that dissipate almost immediately. Lemony tartness with a good deal of stone fruit and just a touch of earthy rustic funkiness. Pretty good beer, finishes a little dry but could really use some carbonation!!!

 

 

Pours hazy, bright gold with minimal head. Taste is bright florals, hay, white sugar, and some sour mix. Beautiful, clean, and light bodied. Great gruit like sipper. This is one I will get again.

Bottle. Poured a bit hazy. Yellow in color with almost zero head. Aroma was pretty awesome. It really reminded me of a Gueuze. Very tart, tangy and rustic. The flavor was a less intense version of the nose that dried out too quickly and lost its power. Flavor matches the smell but does not perform with as much intensity. Lighter bodied. Smell was the best part but as a whole it was a decent sour beer.

Poured from a 375ML bottle into a large goblet.
A - Spring honey colored, deep yellow, single lonely bubbles wander to the surface.
They organize into a thin ring of white lace.
S - Orchard flowers, hints of citrus, sour notes in the best ways, and a refined grain element.
With a bit of warmth the yeast adds tangerine, and green tea to the aromatics.
T - Small bits of citrus, a sweet marmalade of orange and peach, nice clean malt base balances out the flavors. The house cultured yeast adds a sense of purpose without dominating.
M - A bit slick on the palate, slightly viscous, a weak level of carbonation has no way to clean up. The finish
is loaded with honey quality, and the linger is forever. All in all quite nice.
O - A wonderfully complex offering, the nose is its strongest attribute, the mouth feel is solid and the flavor
meanders across a wide range.
A very well executed wild ale from Mystic.