Ampersand Volume 3 Chapter 2
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

 

Batch 0690/1670. Purchased in 2015. Aged in closet for 3 years and fridge for 1 year. Pours a deep ruby reddish brown with an off white head. Carbonation medium. Head retention low to medium, holds lacing on the glass, which is better than most sours. Immediate aroma of sweet/sour acid similar to a flanders red ale. Medium body with enough dark malt and residual malt sweetness to counteract the sourness. Pretty well balanced. Appropriately has little to no hop aroma or flavor, and very low bitterness . Very similar to a flanders red (Duchess) but with a spicy rye finish and hints of whisky. Really solid if you like this style of beer. This is much closer to a strong (7% abv) flanders red ale than a saison, so I scored it with that in mind.

 

 

Hazy brown color with beige head. Aroma has vinous and balsamic vinegar notes with some dried plums and raspberries. Taste has really nice dried fruits like figs and prunes, balsamic vinegar, medium sourness but not too acidic. Medium body, medium minus carbonation. This one really hits the notes for me. I really enjoy the dried fruits character.

 

 

 

 

 

another super neat new crooked stave beer, i feel like these guys have been reinvigorated lately, and are back to being innovative. this is delicious but also kind of weird. crimson to brown in color, with a huge aroma of tart fruity jam, nutty kilned type malts, and hot woody rye whiskey, all very intense, interesting together, and quite attractive despite being so foreign to me. the sourness is jarring here, its downright acidic, and while the wood also exhibits some tannins, i find myself thankful its so strong here, the wood really helps settle some of the sourness, round it out a bit. the rye whiskey is super flavorful, i get the rye itself right away, and thats probably my favorite element of it. spicy and sharp, intense meets intense with the sourness, and there is some fruitiness too, raisin, tart cherry, and even blackberry notes in here. subtle molasses, vanilla, and caramel as well. the sourness here could be reigned in a bit, that aspect keeps this from being more drinkable, but i like how pungent and piquant and aggressive this is overall. cool use of the rye barrels, and a neat series is in the making here from these guys, who have needed something like this to come along for awhile now. on tap at the brewery right now, go get some!

edit: about three years in the cellar has done a lot for this, somehow the acidity seems mellowed, which is usually the opposite of what happens in the cellar with wild beer, but the grains seem to have risen up some and balanced this a little more. i now still get all the dark fruit, but a little umami with it and with the wood, really complex and good, and it warms up super well. a fun side by side with the gin one in this series, now rarities, and with some of my closest friends and family!

 

11/25/2016