Farmer's Reserve Citrus
Almanac Beer Co.
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American Wild Ale
Ranked #291 - ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 93
Ranked #1,979 - Avg:
- 4.18 | pDev: 7.42%
- Reviews:
- 99
- Ratings:
- From:
- Almanac Beer Co.
- California, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating
- Wants
- 42
- Gots
- 123
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Notes:
Citrus and beer have made a great pair ever since the first lemon wedge was added to a frosty wheat beer. Here we expand on that tradition, melding a sour blond ale with the intensely aromatic zest of Buddha’s Hand citrons and meyer lemons along with the bracing tartness of Yuzu and Blood Oranges from Hamada Farms.
Reviews: 99
| Ratings: 721
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Reviews by jlindros:
4.24/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Caught in the back of the fridge, bottled June 2014, hopefully still good.
Pours a mild fizzy head that sticks around a bit thanks to streaming bubbles, very little lacing, very clear with slight sediment floaties golden tan color.
Nose nice tartness, a little bacteria funk, sour lemon, citrus, nice generic sour funk, a little orange peel, zest notes, a juicy tangy citrus, big buttery oak as well and a vinous like wine, a crisp white wine, and a little sour blond base.
Taste is very sour, much more sour than I expected, like sucking on a lemon, speaking of which nice lemon tartness, sour citrus and pretty tangy, a different like tangy citrus, with lemon juice, citrus peel, zest, etc. NIce buttery oak again, a little toasty, with more vinous crisp white wine, a juicy Chardonnay like white wine with plenty of oak. Nice souring bacteria and funk, fair acidity, flemmy finish with lingering very sour lemon and tart citrus, a little candy blond malt.
Mouth is med bod, flemmy fair acidity and quite sour, nice carb.
Overall regardless of age this was quite nice, plenty of oak and white wine in there, still nice lemon and orange citrus and tangy, nice souring funk, pretty tasty, wonder how bright the citrus was fresh.
1,233 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Caught in the back of the fridge, bottled June 2014, hopefully still good.
Pours a mild fizzy head that sticks around a bit thanks to streaming bubbles, very little lacing, very clear with slight sediment floaties golden tan color.
Nose nice tartness, a little bacteria funk, sour lemon, citrus, nice generic sour funk, a little orange peel, zest notes, a juicy tangy citrus, big buttery oak as well and a vinous like wine, a crisp white wine, and a little sour blond base.
Taste is very sour, much more sour than I expected, like sucking on a lemon, speaking of which nice lemon tartness, sour citrus and pretty tangy, a different like tangy citrus, with lemon juice, citrus peel, zest, etc. NIce buttery oak again, a little toasty, with more vinous crisp white wine, a juicy Chardonnay like white wine with plenty of oak. Nice souring bacteria and funk, fair acidity, flemmy finish with lingering very sour lemon and tart citrus, a little candy blond malt.
Mouth is med bod, flemmy fair acidity and quite sour, nice carb.
Overall regardless of age this was quite nice, plenty of oak and white wine in there, still nice lemon and orange citrus and tangy, nice souring funk, pretty tasty, wonder how bright the citrus was fresh.
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More User Reviews:
4.12/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
375ml bottle. Poured into an unlabeled snifter 8/8/2014.
A- Hazy medium orange body. Short-lived white head, no lacing. Simple looking liquid.
S- Lactate, yogurt, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, pale malt sweetness.
F- Lactate, yogurt, acidic grapefruit, lemon juice and some vinegar on the finish. This is essentially what I would imagine citric acid to taste like, except its probably far more drinkable. Tasty stuff, not especially multi-dimensional but complex enough!
M- On the thinner side, a bit undercarbonated for my enjoyment. But quite good.
O- Quite a tasty sour with a nice citrus quality to it; as if it was grapefruit/lemon with half the fruit sweetness taken out of the equation.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
375ml bottle. Poured into an unlabeled snifter 8/8/2014.
A- Hazy medium orange body. Short-lived white head, no lacing. Simple looking liquid.
S- Lactate, yogurt, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, pale malt sweetness.
F- Lactate, yogurt, acidic grapefruit, lemon juice and some vinegar on the finish. This is essentially what I would imagine citric acid to taste like, except its probably far more drinkable. Tasty stuff, not especially multi-dimensional but complex enough!
M- On the thinner side, a bit undercarbonated for my enjoyment. But quite good.
O- Quite a tasty sour with a nice citrus quality to it; as if it was grapefruit/lemon with half the fruit sweetness taken out of the equation.
704 characters
4.41/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled July 2014 poured into a tulip glass.
Appearance: Finger of bubbly white head that dissipates immediately to a ring of white bubbles around the edge of the glass. Orangey - gold. Not opaque but definitely hazy. Small and steady bubbles.
Smell: Lemon, Citrus, Light hint of thyme or mint, wheat and lacto-funk.
Taste: Smack of acidic lemon sour followed by a grainy lacto finish. As it warms a mint/grassy/floral notes arise. Seems to be less acidic sour and more tart as I go on - could be my palate and not the warming.
Mouth feel: medium, somewhat bubbly. Slight sting in back of throat as swallowed but not as much as I was expected.
Overall: I've had about four beers from Almanac now and this definitely has to be one the best I've had. Their cherry-soured options are great but can be a bit too much for me. This is a blonde sour that separates itself from the traditional berliner weisse or a geuze. Surprisingly carbonated for a sour beer and not too funky or acidic. Highly recommended!
1,007 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled July 2014 poured into a tulip glass.
Appearance: Finger of bubbly white head that dissipates immediately to a ring of white bubbles around the edge of the glass. Orangey - gold. Not opaque but definitely hazy. Small and steady bubbles.
Smell: Lemon, Citrus, Light hint of thyme or mint, wheat and lacto-funk.
Taste: Smack of acidic lemon sour followed by a grainy lacto finish. As it warms a mint/grassy/floral notes arise. Seems to be less acidic sour and more tart as I go on - could be my palate and not the warming.
Mouth feel: medium, somewhat bubbly. Slight sting in back of throat as swallowed but not as much as I was expected.
Overall: I've had about four beers from Almanac now and this definitely has to be one the best I've had. Their cherry-soured options are great but can be a bit too much for me. This is a blonde sour that separates itself from the traditional berliner weisse or a geuze. Surprisingly carbonated for a sour beer and not too funky or acidic. Highly recommended!
1,007 characters
4.2/5 rDev +0.5%
The beer comes in a golden hazy yellow with tinges of orange.
The aroma strangely has green mint, lots of tart quality, citrus peel, barnyard funk.
The flavor follows with that herbacious green leafy mint in the front. Very tart like Warheads. A wheat blonde ale comes in the middle. Slight funk and vanilla and then the beer dries out wonderfully.
A very tart brew with good complexities.
392 characters
The beer comes in a golden hazy yellow with tinges of orange.
The aroma strangely has green mint, lots of tart quality, citrus peel, barnyard funk.
The flavor follows with that herbacious green leafy mint in the front. Very tart like Warheads. A wheat blonde ale comes in the middle. Slight funk and vanilla and then the beer dries out wonderfully.
A very tart brew with good complexities.
392 characters
3.82/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased at Coaltrain in Colorado Springs in the summer. Been curious about these sours for a long time now.
A- Leaves the Belgian 12oz bottle to my chalice with a hazy golden light orange body. A white pillow tops the beer without reaching half a finger with frothy texture. Small ring remains but lacing is fairly rare.
S- Sour citrus pungent aroma flies out of the glass with a medium strength wine barrel behind it. Lemons, lactic acid, oranges, citron preserves, barnyard funk, tart apple and slight acetic acid notes. White wine grapes for sure.
T- Citrus and lactic acid bacteria really take over the show at this point. Lemon zest and sour juice is huge, probably a result of the lactic and added citrus combining. Vinous white grapes, slight wet oak, oranges, clementine peel, a touch of vinegar, barnyard straw and funk, sour green apple skin and satsuma mandirin combine riding a substantial sourness onto the taste buds. Raw wheaty lactic feel like a Berliner at times. Rubbery band aid hint once in a while.
MF- Light bodied with a lower than expected carbonation level on the low-medium level for the style. Semi dry and silky consistency with a light bit of creaminess. Finishes rather sour.
Well made sour ale but lacks complexity at times. A huge blast of mostly sour and citrus with some funk and wine leaves you wanting just a bit more. The body could also use some more texture to support the barrage of sour citrus flavors.
1,457 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased at Coaltrain in Colorado Springs in the summer. Been curious about these sours for a long time now.
A- Leaves the Belgian 12oz bottle to my chalice with a hazy golden light orange body. A white pillow tops the beer without reaching half a finger with frothy texture. Small ring remains but lacing is fairly rare.
S- Sour citrus pungent aroma flies out of the glass with a medium strength wine barrel behind it. Lemons, lactic acid, oranges, citron preserves, barnyard funk, tart apple and slight acetic acid notes. White wine grapes for sure.
T- Citrus and lactic acid bacteria really take over the show at this point. Lemon zest and sour juice is huge, probably a result of the lactic and added citrus combining. Vinous white grapes, slight wet oak, oranges, clementine peel, a touch of vinegar, barnyard straw and funk, sour green apple skin and satsuma mandirin combine riding a substantial sourness onto the taste buds. Raw wheaty lactic feel like a Berliner at times. Rubbery band aid hint once in a while.
MF- Light bodied with a lower than expected carbonation level on the low-medium level for the style. Semi dry and silky consistency with a light bit of creaminess. Finishes rather sour.
Well made sour ale but lacks complexity at times. A huge blast of mostly sour and citrus with some funk and wine leaves you wanting just a bit more. The body could also use some more texture to support the barrage of sour citrus flavors.
1,457 characters
4.39/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Glowing hazy straw gold with a two finger white head that recedes to half a finger after about a minute. Inviting.
S: Tart lemon,zesty orange oil, and white wine immediately. A bit of musty funk and a backing note of pear follow. Very complex, I find new facets to the aroma each time I lift the glass to my nose.
T: An interplay of tart and sweet not unlike a Meyer lemon. Dry oaky wine barrel and pithy orange. Mineral note closes everything out. Tastes like a mimosa and a glass of sparkling lemonade had a love child. Great flavor.
M: Thin bodied and effervescent. Tartness coupled with a drying finish lingers long after each sip.
O: Just a great beer. Beautifully executed and definitely the best beer I've had from Almanac. Reminds me of Farmers Reserve #4 which makes sense as they were very similar in composition.
831 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Glowing hazy straw gold with a two finger white head that recedes to half a finger after about a minute. Inviting.
S: Tart lemon,zesty orange oil, and white wine immediately. A bit of musty funk and a backing note of pear follow. Very complex, I find new facets to the aroma each time I lift the glass to my nose.
T: An interplay of tart and sweet not unlike a Meyer lemon. Dry oaky wine barrel and pithy orange. Mineral note closes everything out. Tastes like a mimosa and a glass of sparkling lemonade had a love child. Great flavor.
M: Thin bodied and effervescent. Tartness coupled with a drying finish lingers long after each sip.
O: Just a great beer. Beautifully executed and definitely the best beer I've had from Almanac. Reminds me of Farmers Reserve #4 which makes sense as they were very similar in composition.
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4.15/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is slightly hazy yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down, leaving wispy lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of sour citrus are present in the nose.
T: As in the smell, the taste has flavors of sour citrons and strong notes of oak from the wine barrel aging, although I don't get any of the wine. The citrons really stand out in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer—it wasn't as sour compared to other beers in the style and this may be because there were strong flavors of citrons.
Serving type: bottle
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is slightly hazy yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down, leaving wispy lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of sour citrus are present in the nose.
T: As in the smell, the taste has flavors of sour citrons and strong notes of oak from the wine barrel aging, although I don't get any of the wine. The citrons really stand out in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer—it wasn't as sour compared to other beers in the style and this may be because there were strong flavors of citrons.
Serving type: bottle
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3.49/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Loads of lemon to my tastes which is nice, but slightly disappointing considering I was anticipating orange and citron. Dry and tannic finish with little to no sweetness to round things out. Very straight forward and acetic...simple.
A decent beer, and fun afternoon sipper, but from memory the weakest of what I've had so far from Almanac.
342 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Loads of lemon to my tastes which is nice, but slightly disappointing considering I was anticipating orange and citron. Dry and tannic finish with little to no sweetness to round things out. Very straight forward and acetic...simple.
A decent beer, and fun afternoon sipper, but from memory the weakest of what I've had so far from Almanac.
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3.85/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.52/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Great first smell. Very very sour and tart smelling. Lots of citrus notes and a crisp sharp finish. The farmers reserve series never disappoints and this one is the same
169 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Great first smell. Very very sour and tart smelling. Lots of citrus notes and a crisp sharp finish. The farmers reserve series never disappoints and this one is the same
169 characters
3.74/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
One of the better of the series. A slight notch below the pluot because that to me is perfectly balanced between sour and sweet. This is pretty complex. Sour and tart yes but the citrus from the buddhas hand and the oranges they used makes this a winner. Combined with the white wine barrel and the dryness that this series seems to exude should be great with food, especially fish, as is recommended on the bottle. As with the others, let it warm up before you rush to judgement.
480 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
One of the better of the series. A slight notch below the pluot because that to me is perfectly balanced between sour and sweet. This is pretty complex. Sour and tart yes but the citrus from the buddhas hand and the oranges they used makes this a winner. Combined with the white wine barrel and the dryness that this series seems to exude should be great with food, especially fish, as is recommended on the bottle. As with the others, let it warm up before you rush to judgement.
480 characters
4.08/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
-on tap in a tulip: pale, cloudy Amber-orange. Aroma and flavor match; acid and fruit dominate. Almost now effervescence by sight, but carbonation is just right
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
-on tap in a tulip: pale, cloudy Amber-orange. Aroma and flavor match; acid and fruit dominate. Almost now effervescence by sight, but carbonation is just right
161 characters
4.5/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.38/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
My first from Almanac and will pursue more from them as this was fantastic. Sour and tart enough on the tongue with an amazing aroma of citrusy/acidic fruits. A bit overcarbonated for my liking for a sour but that might be subdued after some storing. Would definitely try again.
278 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
My first from Almanac and will pursue more from them as this was fantastic. Sour and tart enough on the tongue with an amazing aroma of citrusy/acidic fruits. A bit overcarbonated for my liking for a sour but that might be subdued after some storing. Would definitely try again.
278 characters
Farmer's Reserve Citrus from Almanac Beer Co.
Beer rating:
93 out of
100 with
721 ratings
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