Druif Rouge
pFriem Family Brewers

2024 bottling

Appearance: Pours the color of pink grapefruit juice; cloudy with a one finger head that fades to a ringlet with an island in the middle; a few speckles of lacing, as well

Smell: The aromatics lean toward currants, Pinot Noir grapes, watermelon, kiwi and unripe plum; tart and oaky

Taste: The sour elements emerge quickly on the palate, with a variety of fruits joining the Pinot Noir and currant flavors; underneath, the watermelon and unripe plum add a subtle dimension; after the swallow, the oak is prominent but the finish is quite tart

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation; quite puckery

Overall: Pfriem is a versatile brewer and this is a great example of their range

been on a huge grape wild ale kick lately and was stoked for this one in the center of a really heady lineup of them. 2020 vintage, doesnt look like they say what grapes are in this on the label, a shame, i love to know when i drink these, and id venture this a lighter one, but wonderful stuff either way! deep pink in color, a little muted in luster, short lived flash of white lazy head but the beer is plenty bubbly on the palate, excited even, a little sediment in the bottom of the bottle but not bad. it smells piquant, tannic, mature, and woody, and it has familiar pfriem wild funkiness to it, as much brett as it has acid it seems, absolutely mouthwatering, a little sulfur winey weirdness which i dont mind, cranberry and raspberry tartness, slight red florals too, lovely! the flavor is as good as the nose, grape forward to be sure, but in no way does that come at the expense of the base beer, which might not quite be lambic but certainly leans well towards it, and just some faint alcohol enhancing the fruit which works well here. definite berry tang, the grape skins have some of that too, light citrus in here, red rose, earthy minerality, light brine, rosehip medicinal character, more and more farmy on the yeast side as it sits, super cool fermentation profile, pfriem at their best in that regard here, and just a bit of grain body, but dry there and not really a huge factor or me. light enough to drink, very complex, nice evolution from start to finish and as it warms, and a cool expression of the fruit. this makes me want more like this from them, seems fully in their wheelhouse, and all who shared in this little bottle were quite pleased. a fun one, a recent favorite among a ton of great stuff from pfriem of late!

Bottle, 2020 vintage, from Market of Choice.

A clear ruby red with a sense, white head that falls off rapidly. The nose is solid. Bright lactic tartness with light yogurt notes that amplify the grape character, a mild funk, a touch of sulfur are all present. Nice grape and grape skin character, this is mildly jammy and faintly spicy with a touch of cinnamon and almond skin. A touch of cracker as well.

The palate opens tart with quite a bit of lactic acid, a touch meaty but mostly clean with some yogurt. Coupled with the fruit, it takes on a lightly frothy texture. The mid palate has a lot of grape character with musky, fruity and berry rich notes. Funk notes are mostly dust and earth with a little dried mushoom. Drying on the finish with a lot of fruit. Medium light in body, moderately carbonated, this beer excites the salivary glands in a pleasant way. Solid, a touch clinical, a good B+

To editorialize - I tried this beer side by side with Purple Cosmos, despite the fact that that beer is a saison and note lambic adjacent. The latter is flawless, coaxing a remarkable depth out of the grapes. If I was drinking this by itself, I'd arguably rate it higher.