Grand Cru Red (2016)
Almanac Beer Co.

 

 

A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle, bottled in Autumn 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.

Appearance: A hazy but bright orange red colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.

Aroma: Sour, tart, sweet, candy like, raspberry, cherry, grape jelly, vanilla, oak, and a touch vinous.

Taste: Sour, sour candy, raspberry, grape jelly, lemon juice, vinous, vanilla, oak and some light acidity.

Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to full bodied, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: A very nice and balanced Sour Red Ale with enjoyable candy like fruity flavours, and alcohol non-existent and well hidden despite being 10.5% abv.

L: A light shade of barrel aged beer.
S: Sweet raspberry smell with some vanilla flavor.
T: A sweet and simple raspberry and vanilla bean with oak flavors along the way.
F: Sweet berry drink.
O: A unique berry beer.

 

Juicy, acidic, red wine, oak, vanilla, grapes, raspberry, notes of berries, cherry, slightly smoothie like, slight nutty caramel notes, some chocolate

750ml bottle into tulip.

A: Pours a deep cranberry red with a bubbly, airy, cap of off-white foam that faded into a thick collar and wispy lace.
S: Beautiful nose, very vinous with notes of Zinfandel mixed with raspberry, grape must, slight earthy spice and musty barrel, creamy vanilla, and just a hint of vinegary acid.
T: Decadent bouquet of raspberry and Zinfandel up front with red ale flavor base, mild vinegar, and caramel following. The finish is full of vanilla that leads into musty woody, tannic raspberry seeds/oak, and a touch of earthy spice. Dry lingering finish with some mild gritty tannins.
M: Medium-full body, sweet juicy fruit up front with a drying finish. No trace of alcohol except a subtle slickness on my tongue. Effervescent carbonation with a slight bite to it.
O: A superb sour full of deep and complex wine-like flavors. Excellent.

 

 

 

Fills a flute glass with a clear, copper-red, allowing occasional columns of tiny carbonation. A pink head is thin and short-lived.

The aroma is dominated by cider vinegar with clear, but background notes of sour cherry. Warmth allows oak to take control and displaces the cherry with vanilla. Farmyard funk is present throughout. With extended warmth, anise is revealed.

As expected, this is very tart with cherries, currants, and quite likely cranberries. Once one recovers from the tartness, strong sweetness is also revealed. This is a glass of berry juice and oak. The acidity is very high, especially against a mild, short finish.

A medium body with silky texture and modest fine carbonation. Alcohol is quite present as expected, though lacking heat.

This beer is very enjoyable, though the berries come on later than expected. By comparison to Belgian examples, it falls short, but is certainly respectable and enjoyable on a cold winter afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A- Hazy pink body from 750ml to a snifter. A foamy off white cap builds to one cm high with fairly good retention. Lacing is sparse and spotty.

S- A mix of bright fruits, wine barrels and the classic acetic vinaigrette Flanders Red goodness. The raspberries run the show with grapes, wine, oak and lactic sourness in the backdrop.

T- Raspberries on swole. They are bright, fresh and juicy joining in with the tart grapes, a vanilla pod earthy sweetness, wet vinous oak, cherry, herbal fruit seeds, acetic vinaigrette Flanders funk and melted berry popsicles.

MF- Dry and very slick oily medium body. The very high carbonation accentuates the sourness and the fresh raspberry flavors. Ends with an intense sour burn.

Huge raspberry and great sour Flanders feel highlights with a bit of vanilla and oak wood.

Wow!!! What a great semi-sour!! Pours red with little to no head. Great sour taste on the front with hints grapefruit and mellon along with the strong raspberry finish. Very complex beer. This is one kf those beers where I wish I had a better knowledge base on which to describe the characteristics more accurately and fairly. It's a must try. Worth the price!! Well worth it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/29/2016. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy reddish orange color with a 1 finger dense light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart/sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, almond, vanilla, toasted oak, hay, straw, pepper, and bread; with lighter notes of leather, red wine vinegar, funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, fruit/vanilla, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge tart/sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, almond, vanilla, toasted oak, hay, straw, pepper, and bread; with lighter notes of leather, red wine vinegar, funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness and yeast/tannic oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, almond, vanilla, toasted oak, hay, straw, pepper, bread, light leather/red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, fruit/vanilla, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tannic/sourness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness for acidity/tannins, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and acidic/tannic/grainy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 10.5%. Overall this is an incredible fruited sour ale! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, fruit/vanilla, oak barrel, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on, thanks to the balanced acidity and wine/oak tannins. A highly enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

Looks and smells like a fruit candle. Drinks like a tart delicious brew!