Blue Briar
Strange Roots Experimental Ales

There still are some 16.9 fluid ounce brown bottles out there. One just got emptied into a clear glass liter mug. The product is a dull and cloudy dark violet in color, without a head. There's plenty to smell, with sour fruit and oaky tannins at the forefront. Maybe an assist should go to those tannins, but this is a wild sour that's sour, not tart, not sweet, not sweet and sour, sour. Times there are for sours that are tart and/or sweet, but this taste nails a wild sour ale. The blueberry inclusion is modest, as unfortunately, the oak tannins are the dominant flavor aspect. They even supercede the Brettanomyic yeast characters, no mean feat. Still, there is enough sour presence to make this a pleasant one. The mouthfeel is OK for a wild sour, which of course, isn't high praise. Plenty of good sour wild ale taste overcomes most of the less than ideal traits. Points given for a dense residue at the bottom of the glass. It would be a treat to try this without the oak barrel aging. Great deception of an 8% ABV going on here. Highly recommended, if you can find it, for what it brings as is.

Appearance: Pours cloudy with a tea color; the frothy head builds and fades with dots and squiggles of lace

Smell: Earthy and funky, with a lactic sourness; vague blueberry tones

Taste: Lactic, earthy and fruity tones forward, with just a touch of blueberry underneath; stinky cheese flavors in the middle (even though this is not the Grand Blue) with an acetic, vinegary finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: One of the better Draai Laag bottles I have now tried though I was expecting more blueberry influence on this beer

Thanks, ArtAttackEd, for the opportunity

 

 

Bottle to tulip, the appearance was a ruddy burnt dark orange forming a finger’s worth of white foamy head that dissipated at a good pace. Sly streamy lace. The aroma had some blueberries and blackberries up front, gentle sweet to tart, light grassy hops - some bitterness, but good level of sour. The flavor brought all of the prior mentioned aromas together with a decent tart/sour/sweet sort of aftertaste and finish. The feel was almost medium bodied, seemed just a touch under with a fair sessionable feel to it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine. Overall, pretty nice "fruited" sour ale I’d have again. Sourheads might like this, just expect the tartness to be a bit firmer than some others of this style.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours quite murky. Kind of a mildly funky nose. Blueberry is an accent. Seems to be some lacto on the backside. Minimal funk. A nice one that is a very easy drinker, but not the punch of the other two. I prefer the Red Briar over all 3.

My least favorite of the Briars. Pours a cloudy, pale violet. Too sweet with hardly any sourness. Blueberry is lost on me and has an odd mealy flavor that wasn't too pleasant. Still very drinkable and not bad drinking, just not the most impressive take on the style.

Pours a reddish color with a hint of violet. Bubbly head forms and fades away to a halo which lasts the duration of the drink. Swirling in the snifter, the nose has fruit, funk and some traces of alcohol.

The yeast plays well with the alcohol and fruit. Lambic tartness, dry oak, berry wine and faint earthy bitterness. Tartness, slight blueberry, as it warms a touch of alcohol heat. Sourness is at a nice level. Well balanced and damn smooth.

Mouthfeel is light and juicy with a medium level of carbonation. Drinks like some experimental lambic I've had from Belgium.

I have been looking forward to trying this one for some time, and you gotta love the concept, this is an easy drinker, with a unique blaeber lambic feel.