Barrels and Pipes
Brouwerij De Leite

insanely cool collaboration here with oud beersel. this is a blend of 30% oud beersel lambic with a dark ale from de leite, aged together, this one was done at de leite, there is also a version aged at oud beersel called pipes and barrels, need to track that one down too after absolutely adoring this one. so much to like about this, so funky and interesting, sour and dark, unique in every respect, the lambic proportion is brilliant, and this stands as more or less one of a kind in my experience. beautiful bottle conditioned looking pour with a soft foamy inch and a half of wispy tan foam on top of a glassy deep brown liquid without too much body or anything, bubbly and pretty, well refined looking, love the head retention. the aroma is insanely complex, the de leite beer has their signature high tone acidic sharpness and rustic funk, but the lambic wildness is epic with it, deeply bretty, true oud beersel character coming through, more of that aspect as it warms too, lemony, vinous, balsamic vinegar, lots of fruitiness from the dark malts playing at that with the sourness, mouthwatering, red and black licorice, cola and dr pepper soda, dried cherry, tobacco lead, cocoa, so unique. i believe the base beer from de leite is a dark ale or a dubbel or something adjacent, but it has more sourness than belgian esters by a longshot, neat malt depth though, hay and straw, even light smoke and charred wood, man oh man. the flavor is every bit as complex, and the two beers come together to exquisitely well. sourness is still high and consistent through the whole thing, but the lambic aspect is amazing in here, really elevates this, some roast, some dark stewed fruitiness, modest sweetness in the center but real dry later, almost surprisingly so for how rich this really is, ashy and musty and ineresting, cocoa and prune and cola, tonka bean weirdness too, lightly medicinal, strong red wine, port wine, walnut, dried apple, very autumnal to me. sharply acidic but wonderfully wild and spontaneous to me too, brilliant in ever respect. the mouthfeel is aerated and pillowy and effortless, the sourness doesnt limit it despite its intensity, and the effervescent carbonation is ideal. cant say enough about this one, a masterful blend, hope to track down the one made at oud beersel, this is not to be missed for fans of such things! high art right here.

Collab with Ouide Beersel. Wild ale and it tastes wild. Like drinking the essence of a forest including moss, mushrooms and wild boar droppings. Sour with something like a jalapeño hint. Poured at 50 degrees F. 7.5% abv, best by 21-4-28. I’ll try to hang on to some to try it with age but temptation looms. Corked bottle with cage.

Look: to borrow a term from Guinness, ruby colored in the glass. Thin beige head, little lacing,
Smell: lambic and wood
Taste: sour with a woodsy dimension unlike anything I’ve had
Feel: light but not insubstantial. Carbonation light

Overall: wild ale that really captures the essence of terrior.