L'Brett D'Or - Dry Hopped
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

Reviewed from notes. Poured from the 375 mL bottle into a Cigar City Brewing goblet.

A: Very pale gold to light yellow, and fairly low visible carbonation. No true head formation - just some spotty white foam. Mildly hazy, plus some chill haze.

S: Funky Brettanomyces, dry earthiness and barnyard. Light citrus hops, lactic and citric tartness, and lemon rind. The palest of cracker and two-row malts. More citrus rind and lactic acid, and light woody dryness gives me a little bit of a vinous impression.

T: Lemons and lemon rind, citric acid and lactic tartness. Brett funk (earthy and horse blanket), though not as much as the nose suggested. Light crisp malt bill. Just a hint of oak tannins on the back of the tongue. Some citrus and tropical fruity hop bitterness with more citric acid tartness and lemons at and after the swallow.

M: A light body bordering on watery. Fairly low carbonation sensation, though the tartness is enough to keep things interesting. Low alcohol presence.

O: This comes across as almost a hopped, non-fruited berliner…if that were a thing. Tasty, but not as good as a lot of others hoppy sours that sit around on shelves as well. Although - I would venture this would be more sessionable than most of them as it’s not over-the-top sour or acidic. It does have a nice light balance.

No stamp on the bottle.

Pours a really great golden yellow color. Not too much carb off the pour, with very small amounts of residual lace that quickly dissipates.

The nose is all sweet Brett aromas. Hints of honey, hay, and just a touch of barnyard funk round this out perfectly. Lemony aromas give a good level of mild acidity to the nose as well.

The flavors here contrast the nose nicely. Again, Brett is the predominant force, but considerably drier than the nose. Good horse blanket essence imparts a good amount of funkiness, while a re-emergence of lemon and oak barre influence balance the other end of the spectrum.

Crisp, dry, lighter on the palate. Effervescent carbonation and a clean finish.

 

 

 

A: Poured into a tulip glass to a bright golden yellow that is just slightly hazy with a dense two finger white head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of lemony tartness, funk and some oak
T: Taste of barnyard funk and horse blanket with some pleasing tartness with tastes lemony with a little oak. Swallow is more lemony tartness, oak, and lingering funk
M: This beer is on the lighter side of medium on the palate with carbonation that is effervescent but not prickly while the beer has a drying finish from the acidity
O: Overall this is a really nice beer with some good flavors and complexity. Not bracingly sour but definitely a nice pucker along with a good bit of funk. Worth a try if you like the style.

Pours a lightly hazy golden yellow. A solid finger of compact white head sticks around for a couple minutes. Solid lacing and retention for a sour.

The nose is lemon, papaya, and funk, with mild salinity. The taste hits on similar notes, opening with lemon and kiwi. There's some zesty black pepper mid-palate and lime candy on the finish. Sourness is a 5/10. Manageable, but still complex. There's a decent amount of drying oak in the background, which accentuates the peppery flavors. Juicy up front, but on the finish it's bone dry. The dry hopping offers a little bit of a generic bitterness that I'm not sure is needed, but the kiwi/tropical suggestions are likely from the dry hopping as well so who knows? Tonic water and lime ride out on the finish.

Overall, very good.

 

 

 

Lemon, stone fruit, earthy funk, oak, white wine, grass, grapefruit

 

 

 

 

Lemon yellow with nice clarity. Somewhat weak head but not uncommon for the style. Aroma is bright and citric with subtle funk notes. Exceptional burst of citric acid right away. Lemony. Hops compliment the citric, acidic qualities perfectly. Welcome funk imparts warm, earthy tones. Touch of mint in the finish. Light and very dry with a bright carbonation. Finish is clean with lingering hop and lemon. Outstanding.

Pours a golden yellow that is crystal clear with a foamy two fingers of white head. Pouring the last of the bottle into a glass gives the beer a murky look. Head foams up reluctantly, with just okay retention. No lacing left behind. Aroma is oak, and peaches in a light bodied, sour-tweaked form. Flavor profile is oak, peaches, and strawberries. Fruit mingles with lactic sour twinges. While it is sour, it remains a balanced level of sourness. Not face making sour. Mouth feel is medium-thin, with a smooth and slippery feel. The finish is a little fizzy. Overall, it's a distinctly sour, but well crafted beer that is easy and enjoyable to drink. Certainly on the easier side of the sour spectrum.

Served in a 12oz snifter.

This is really refreshing, it's light and effervescent. It's pretty one dimensional compared to the original lbrett. Did a side by side comparison between the two and they both had their strong points: This one was light and zesty where the other was full bodied and tart