Sanctuaire (fûts De Vin Rouge + Brettanomyces)
Microbrasserie Le Castor

Medium: Capped.
Opacity: Slightly veiled to hazy.
Color: Light gold with poor activity.
Head: Slightly foamy 2 finger.
Legs: Strong lacing and good swirl reaction.
Smell: Sour/Straw/Apples.
Taste: Wheat/Brett yeast/Green grapes/Clove.
Feel: Funky/Belgian Yeast/Cheese/Floral.
Body: Full slick and smooth, a bit dry and vinous.
Carbonation: Extra sharp but fading fast.
Overall: Tripel cross Wild ale, nice combo. Excellent quality.

Visual 6/10 - Flavors 8.5/10 - Sensations 9/10 - Balance 8.5/10 -
Freshness 6/10 - Intensity 7.5/10 - Complexity 9/10 - Appreciation 8.5/10

 

500ml bottle - this brew actually sounds pretty fucking awesome, but wait for it, wait for it - yeah, that bitch Brett just has crash the party at the last moment, eh, tabernacle?

This beer pours a hazy, dark apricot amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and bubbly ecru head, which leaves some splendid isthmus profile lace around the glass as it slowly but surely abates.

It smells of semi-sweet, grainy and bready pale malt, a whole schwack of Belgian candi sugar, some subtly spicy yeastiness, thankfully understated musty Brett funk, some Pinot Noir-esque fruity barrel essences (mostly vanilla and cherry skins), and very tame earthy, leafy, and musky green hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, dry musty Brett funk (so, horseblanket and wet dust, essentially), more near untethered rock candy sweetness, a weirdly indistinct wine barrel character (could be red, could be white, who knows), and a weak leafy, musty, and dead floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is fairly laid-back in its perfunctory frothiness, the body a solid medium weight, and mostly smooth, as the local beasties cede the floor to the more sensible of the lot, as it were. It finishes still pretty sweet, but moderated well enough by the Brett, secondary (or primary, actually) yeast, and random vinous notes.

Overall, this comes off a whole lot better than my snarky earlier self might have been expecting - it's an old-world Tripel, with some nice varied fruitiness and, yes ancillary funkiness, making for a generally pleasant example of Brave New World brewing, er, prowess.

Yes all the ingredients are here and it is unoffensive, but only so-so drinkable. Still, thanks Brian for bringing. Some washed out wine character, and brett significant.

Bottle: Poured a hazy dirty golden color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and light lacing. Aroma of dry Brett notes with some light spicy yeast notes and some vinous notes are also perceptible. Taste is a good mix of dry Bretty notes with some tart and vinous notes with light spicy yeast notes. Body is full enough for style with good carbonation. Closer to a sour then a tripel but well brewed nonetheless.

 

 

Cloudy and golden with a small head (which is surprising, I expected a bigger head, maybe it's my pour.) You definitely smell the Brett yeast also you have fruity aromas (peach maybe? And oranges) and some oak and vanilla notes. In the mouth there's really a lot of flavors it starts with a fruity taste similar to red wine, then you get oak and vanilla flavors followed by a touch of Brett yeasts. It has a dry finish with a small burning sensation from the alcohol. Really really good beer, maybe not enough hops for me but otherwise really nice.