Context 1
Carton Brewing Company

Good head production for the style, with about 1/2 finger of constantly renewing head through the pour, quickly fading to a perfectly still and foam-devoid body. Body itself is a light orange-caramel color, perfectly transparent and still.

Nose is a wonderful invitation to sip, with waves of sour, flowery, fruity, and tannic tones. Vinegar, tannin, overripe peach, rose hips, oak, mandarin orange, must. The deeper you dive, the more you're rewarded with an Old World sour. No real blueberry notes on the nose.

Some blueberry on the palate, by contrast, but it quickly melds with, before becoming overwhelmed by, the heavy malt base, which itself yields tones of honey, white bread, and caramel. Plenty of sour tones, primarily up front, with lemon, vinegar, and tannins; I'm leaning on the lighter side of strong sour, or the stronger side of moderately sour, if that makes sense. Musty, blankety Brett funk shows up early, but shines almost all alone on the finish. Complex, funky, sour, a touch fruity (but not overmuch) - this brew really has it all.

Lively, smooth, plenty of bite. Moderate pucker.

Despite being mixed with blueberries, I don't get much from the fruit, but in all other ways this beer really delivers. There's a strong amount of souring notes, and a really impressive funk that promises to grow stronger as the beer ages. Very nice overall.

With one foot in New Jersey and the other in Brussels, the brewers of Carton rely on oak, mixed fermentation and blueberries for a genuine taste of Lambic-like attribute with funk, fruit and fauna.

Pouring a translucent and pale mauve, an appearance between rust and rose swells with a foamy short cap. Oak aging and general cellar-like conditions swoon the nose along with musty wine notes, dark berries, a twinge of tartness, and the firm suggestions of saddle leather, hay and weathered woods. Supple sweetness greets the early palate with a light wafer character and hints of sourdough.

As the sweetness dissipates, the fruit flavors billow into a fully fermented but authentic blueberry flavor with peppery hints of acetone. Trending wine-like into finish, the fruit flavors lead over to grape, lemon, cider, lime and currant before developing a light bitterness of straw and oak. Trending moderately sour, a nod toward apple cider vinegar and balsamic aren't far off.

Medium light in body, the hefty flavors of blueberry and the temperate acidity shies away from complete dryness or tartness while trending peppery with the tannins of oak and a hay-like presence from hops in a medium short linger and a crisp, earthen finish.

2d review. OK, I'm a Carton fan boy but gotta stretch on Context 1, they are so on to something great with their wilds, and this is best yet. RETASTED on 10-5-19, Sold out! Still Amazing! Again on Dec 5, 2019. Astounding!

a) Firm amber body topped by rich lasting and lacing head.
s) Blueberries, berries, fall fruit, orchard all in bountiful presence with wild yeast.
t) Follow smell and added wine like fall notes.
f) tickle and tease as a great beer should be, kissy, and fervent, and wild.
o) The consummation of years of experimentation, bring this one in a cellarable format please.

GRIST:
Bohemian Pilsner, White Wheat, Acidulated
HOPS:
Super Galena
PRIMARY:
Lactobacilus buchneri in stainless with blueberry added pre-fermentation
SECONDARY:
Brettanomyces bruxellensis in oak foeder

 

Sample at the Sour Beer fest in Boston on 6/15/2019
Tart earthy funky with lots of berry aroma and flavor, nice!