Bobasa
Oxbow Brewing Company

16.9oz bottled December 2017 (enjoy within 10 years). Opened 3-25-23.
1" sand colored head that fades quickly to a thick ring. Bright, clean auburn body (second pour is cloudy). Vinous aroma with a faint barrel character. Tart, sour fruit upon entry - really wakes up the taste buds. Tart cherry, I tasted the faint smoke on about the 3rd sip and it's interweaved with a phenolic character and a lemon like twang. Second pour brings much more smoke and even some leather. Light body, bright entry with a hit of acidity and a long, tart and ultimately dry finish. Outstanding.

 

 

I'm late to this party; but the Best By date says I've got another 4 years. So does that make me early for once?
I agree with the comments saying this is mis-styled on BA. UnTappd puts it as a Biere de Garde and I agree. But he who is late to the party has much less of a say.

So, I will keep it mercifully short. Complex. And hard to unravel and still keep it short. So see StonedTrippn's review, my vote as leader of the Euro-Saison Heads, North American chapter.

This is only my 6th from Oxbow and I've only repeated them once in the last two years. So let's say I find Oxbow to be an acquired taste that I rarely acquire twice. Yet, I like them. I have a narrower range of farmhouse ales than most aficionados and Oxbox is usually out of range. But they are dedicated and Bobasa is very thoughtful and skilled.

Bottled in December 2016

This is my second of the style which has very few beers added to, at least on this site. I would wager that this is the rarest beer style on the site. Regardless, I quite enjoyed the last one I had, Allagash’s Two Lights, and I knew I needed more. It took me almost 9 months to find another example of the style, but we’re finally here. Having it smoked it also a great bonus, for me at least. Let’s dive right in

Pours a murky brownish gold with a finger of light tan head that fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

This has waves of complexity in the nose, constantly weaving back and forth between smoky and funky notes. I’m picking up on aromas of peat smoke, chocolate malt, funky leather, lemon pepper seasoning, buttery oak, and plum

The taste achieves a similar elegant balance in all notes, more fading from tart to smoky throughout the process of the sip. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting smooth oak, lemon peel, plum, vinegar, and light leather. The swallow brings notes of funky leather, lemon peel, tangerine, smoked malt, and burnt oak

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a surprisingly crisp beer for everything here. Finishes mostly dry with a beautiful smokiness

Wow, this is just straight up awesome. It’s super unique and light enough to throw back, but perfect for contemplative drinking

December 2017 bottle from the Blending and Bottling in Portland. Pours an almost opaque amber orange with a finger of off-white head, smell is sour plum, Concord grapes, raspberries, red and purple tootsie roll pop, mild vinegar, maybe a little hint of smoke, taste is acidic plum, musty tannic white grape skin, hints of apple cider vinegar, finishes with a very mild hint of smoke, feel is light, dry, acidic, and very well carbonated. Fairly acidic and tannic, wish there was more smoke, but still a highly enjoyable darker farmhouse.

 

Mar, 2016 bottle

Copper color with good head retention, smoky, toasty, malty, tart, sour, oaky, caramel, woody notes, lemon acidity, red apple, some chocolate

 

 

 

 

described on the beer list where i had this as a smoked biere de garde, which i think may be a rather liberal use of the style name here, i didnt expect this to be sour, but its really quite acidic, a bit more bacterial and sharp than i am used to in oxbow stuff, but i really like the beer, especially on a chilly early winter afternoon. its very seasonal, light brown colored and frothy headed from the tap. aroma of light peat, smoldering extinguished campfire, and light chocolate malt, along with a bit of red wine vinegar and dark bread, quite heart for being obviously sour, and quite complex as well, the smoke doesnt crowd anything out at all. a little lighter on the grain side than i am used to in a biere de garde, but i like that with the funkiness, light cocoa character to it, great with the woody smoke, notes of fallen leaves here too, and a bran note or something, very dry though all the way through. past the sourness is a really cool wild funk i am familiar with from other oxbow beers, and there is a soft citrus element too, really quite a complex little beer here. maybe not as drinkable as a lot of theirs are, but really interesting and delicious beer for the colder weather. its neat to have some oxbow on tap in denver!

 

 

 

 

On tap at Farmhouse Tap. Hazy deep amber. Aroma is dark fruit acidity. Pushing vinegar, but not quite. Some bready malts and hints of smoke, but only because I know it's there. Tastes of dark fruit sourness and some smoke. Some caramel malt and oak. Medium heavy. It works but it's a little slow to drink.