Wooden Soul #3: Barrel And Cherry-Aged Blonde Ale
Indeed Brewing Company - Minneapolis

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Nick for the little wide-mouth growler of this puppy.

Poured into a Stiegl curved pills glass, just because I felt like it. Pinkish-amber color, with a healthy puff of white head; nice lacing and retention. Sour cherry aroma, very nice. There was a good tartness in the taste, but surprisingly--because I picked none of this up in the aroma--I got a really neat cherry pie sensation...I mean, I got the cherries in the nose, but there was something doughy, almost graham crackery going on here, and was really working for me. This was very tasty and very accessible, tart, but low-key. This was my first beer from this brewery, and I definitely enjoyed it. I took out a small pour and Randalled it with some graham crackers, just for science, and it ended up being really good as well!

 

awesome beer from indeed. i would guess there is a mix of different cherry types in here, as it sort of touches elements of pie cherry, black cherry, tart cherry, they are all here in some respect, and it really works. pink stained hazy milky looking brew, lively carbonation and a real white head on it with great lacing. it smells more tart than anything, with the wild yeasts pushing through the more sour elements of the cherries first. its mouthwatering. like the first beer in the series, i dont pick up on a whole lot of wood in the aroma, but it is there in the flavor. sweeter cherries first in the flavor though, almost like the topping you get on a belgian waffle at dennys or something, not quite as corn syrupy sweet, but definitely getting there. there is a beautiful acidity that cuts the sugar right at the climax and moves it into a more jammy and then tart cherry finish, where the oak mellows both into a beautiful fusion. i liked this one better than the first one in the series, and look forward to seeing where indeed takes this project next. really awesome stuff right here, a northern kriek type, but with its own thing going on.

 

Clouded, dull amber coloring, slim white head.

Funky stuff starts it off right away in the nose, wild and fruity. There's some fruit addition in this, but it doesn't identify itself right away. I'm loving the sour aroma.

In the mouth, more sour, more fruit. Some kind of berries in here, some kind of barrels, some kind of wild yeast. I'm going to cheat and read the description for you. And me.

"Barrel & Cherry aged tart, crisp sour blonde ale. 5.2% ABV. 14 IBU."

Cherries, yeah, that's what it was. Doesn't say what barrels, but I'd guess white wine. Nice and tart and fruity. I'm particularly fond of tart cherry beers...to a point. I will enjoy all 750 milliliters of this one. And urge you to go try it for yourself. It's delicious.

 

On tap at the Red Cow into a flute
pours a cloudy champagne pink with next to no head and then its gone.. Nose is primarily cherry, both sweet and tart, as well as a little creamy sweetness. Good moderate sourness, and interesting integration with other flavors. Mouthful doesn't have much pucker, low carbonation, but still manages to keep different flavors togeteher..no small achievement.

 

 

 

 

From a growler ... and from what I read it may not have been at peak so I'm giving it a bit of the benefit of the doubt in ratings. Look was a nice hazy pink; a bit milky but bright rather than dull. Loose head that fades slowly. Aroma has a lot of cherry - sweet / tart, hovering between sour and pie cherry. Quite a bit of cinnamon, a light lemony sourness but not really very acidic. The slight off note is a moist grainy aroma. A bit of wet hay / oat / wheat. A little bit barny without deep funk. Flavor carries all this through - super quenching cherry, cinnamon. Very easy to drink with the mild acidity ... but still that raw grainy note lingers.

Good stuff, very promising. Looking forward to how their sour beers develop because they manage to nail so many other styles.