Newcastle Morning
Oxbow Brewing Company

 

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a one finger head that fizzes away to a collar; squiggly lacing

Smell: Hay, lemon, white wine grape and oak encased by Brett

Taste: Brett forward, with hay, lemon and white wine grape flavors developing; grassy and lemony through the middle with the oak arriving, after the swallow; dry and tart finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with low carbonation

Overall: An interesting blend between a clean farmhouse ale and a spontaneously fermented, oak-aged beer; the latter dominates but there are elements of the former that make this unique

incredible blend, beautiful beer, among the best i have ever had from oxbow, which is a major compliment because all of it is wonderful. this is so cool green glass is smart too, i love everything about it, lambic funk and oaken maturity with the light struck skunky thing meeting fresh and lively saison type ale, perfect proportions of each, leaning a little more wild and funky and rustic than clean and new, exactly the kind of beer i am high on right now, and the kind of thing i wish i could drink all day every day, how do we get beer this good and complex to be affordable? thats the next mission maybe. this is the softest hazy yellow color, the head is thick white and lasting, carbonation rising up through the glow, it looks incredible in a small white or dessert wine glass, looks and feels fancy to me. the nose is fully wild, oak aged, bretty to the max with a little lemony tang, super mature, but with some weirdly fresh saaz type hops in the mix as well, maybe some fresh wheat malt, lots happening but very cohesive. the flavor is the same, definitely a medicinal, iodine sort of wildness to this, the oxidation of the green glass flattering it, horsey farmy weirdness, raw wheat, pils malt, crackers and pizza dough, herbal hops, meyer lemon, green and white teas, the best parts of french saison, it really is quite dynamic and special, old and new at the same time, not too sour, lots of terroir, i cant say enough about it, and the texture is as good as the flavor. this is immaculate beer, among the beer of the year candidates for me so far this year, as good as it gets!

Murky goldenrod with a white cap. A light and delicate beauty, bubbly and gently sour too. Nuance and technical skill abound here. Smell and taste are filled with decent pear and lemon with accenting hay, white grape, wild yeast, flowers. Points for the name really capturing the beer's personality, a cool gentle morning before a warm day.

500 ml bottle, no dating I noticed on it but 082602 is stamped on the label. Label says 5% ABV. Served in a Teku glass, the beer pours a mostly clear gold color with about an inch white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. I like the aroma, the brew smells like hay, funk, lime, pear, green apple and lemon. For the most part the taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also some grainy malt, oak, stone fruit, yogurt and white grape flavors noticeable too. Tart, funky and tasty! Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's smooth and easy to drink with a moderate amount of carbonation. When I bought this bottle I really didn't know anything about Oxbow. But after drinking this I'll definitely have to pick up more of their beers, really glad they're distributing to Ohio now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had this on tap at Oxbow, before heading to Allagash for their Wild Friendship event. I got pretty drunk that day, and only remember one other beer I tried from them. The other one was an IPA aged with lobster shell, which was not great. The Newcastle Morning, however, was fantastic. I love wild fermented sour ales, and this one did not disappoint. ^ ^