Frequency Illusion - Sauvignon Blanc
Tired Hands Brewing Company

750ml bottle - Fermented Dec. 2018, Bottled Nov. 2019 - poured into a white wine stem at 48°F.

Pours an unimaginably pale straw yellow, with a greenish cast. Fairly clear, with just a touch of misty fog to it. No head forms upon pouring, and the only sign of effervescence is the thin white ring, and the occasional slow bubble rising upwards. Looks very much like a Sauv Blanc in the glass.

Nose: Very pale wheaty saison grain, musty wet white oak, and that classic Tired Hands Magikal saison yeast form a foundation here, with some gentle, but noticeable lactic acidity, super farmy funk notes, with tons of wet hay, barn stable, dried leaves, old wood, leather, wet stone, petrichor, and moss, with some white vinous notes of bright lemon, lime, starfruit, kiwifruit, and white grapes. A swirl in the glass reveals some Nelson, and unripe melon, green passionfruit, ubroke white grape, and a green, grassy vegetal hint. Delicate, bright, and very fruity.

Palate: Frequency Illusion greets the palate with much less acidity than the aroma led on. In fact, it's not even really sour like an ale - the acidity is mostly from the Sauvignon - a grapey acidity, zero pucker or bite. Up front, there's some grainy wheat, hay, grass, lemon, lime zest, passionfruit, and that distinct 2018 batch of Tired Hands Nelson - cilantro. Aerate the ale in your mouth, and the Nelson just explodes with cilantro, cut grass, lime leaf, white pepper, starfruit, and melon rind. A touch of that semi-tart Magikal yeast funk shows, lending some honey and tart sweaty brett. The acidity suddenly dissipates, showing that there was actually some graoe sweetness the whole time, and the finish sheds any and all trace of all, and suddenly becomes 100% white wine. Dry white wine, some buttery oak, and whispers of pear, green apple, lemon, and lychee.

Mouthfeel/Body: The ale is medium-bodied, with both a snappy crispness, and a weighty wine feel. I have no idea what the ABV is here, but I feel like it's higher than I think. Effervescence is fairly light, as well as fine. There's some buttery oak in the finish, lending an oily touch. Fairly dry finish, but not bone-dry.

Overall: I may have gotten too excited about this one. I love wild ales brewed with wine grapes. I love them aged on wine grapes. I even love beer-wine hybrids. This, however, tastes like they brewed a pretty nice saison, and then blended it 50/50 with sauvignon blanc. The first half is quite nice, but in the finish, and the more you drink, the more it turns to white wine. Perhaps a red varietal would be better. It's well made, but maybe a bit overbearing.

 

The beer pours a very light and bubbly white head that dissipates very quickly. The beer itself is a clear pale yellow with a light green hue to it.

The smell is pretty good. It has a strong lime and kiwi fruit note with a bit of a wooden note that mixes very well with the fruity notes. There is a bitter and orange citrus hop note in the finish and blends well with the wine and barrel notes.

The taste is pretty good. IT has the same notes as the smell. The sauv blanc notes mainly consist of a nice kiwi with some lemon and a bit of lime. There is also a light wooden barrel note that is pretty nice and the light orange hop bitterness in the finish.

The feel is good. It's a light-bodied beer with tingling carbonation that feels pretty good. It's very refreshing even with a slight dryness in the finish.

Overall, this is a great beer to have when it's hot outside or something when you're looking for something light.