Breakside New World Bruin
Breakside Brewery - SE Taproom

 

 

 

 

man this is really good, really good beer. a great blend here, bringing together the best of old and young sour ale, in a very soft, fluffy feeling brew thats a lot more nuanced than so many others in its genre, so multidimensional. i love it. amber colored beer, a little lighter in shade than some others, and with only a little bursting bubble sort of head, lazy looking, but not quite still. the nose is awesome, not the vinegar sour side i am used to here, but something else, brighter lacto, moderate acidity, citrus fruit, cherry, raisin, rum spice, oak, and other yeasts, more belgian, so cool, so dynamic. the flavor i think is a little less exciting than the nose, but man i sure do appreciate it. oak mellows the booze, but there is still a little sharpness there. acidity is mild, and sourness is minimal too, its only one factor in the flavor, not the dominant sensation, which i love in the style. dried cherry and wood, must and tang, and surprisingly more bubbles than it looks like it should have. not the usual at all for the style, and i like it even more for that reason. very well made, worth what they ask for it, but dont expect lambic type sourness here, a much more delicate example of the style.

From a 650 ml bottle to a teku glass.

A-The beer is good looking for the style (although perhaps not entirely true to the style). It is mostly clear and deep amber with a reddish hue. The head is about one and one-half fingers of tan foam. Retention is pretty poor and there is no lacing

S-The aroma is nice. Tart cherries dominate, but I also get some vanilla oak, prune and raisin sweetness, and well as a moderate lactic sourness. It might be a bit sweet and juicy, but it works.

T-The taste tracks the smell closely. Sour cherries, sweet cherries, a decent lactic sour pull, some oak, prune, and a slightly earthy finish. Maybe not as complex as the best old world examples, but pretty good.

M-The feel was a bit heavy with a creamier carbonation.

O-This is a pretty solid imitation of the sweeter, Duchesse-style Flemish Red ales. It may lack the vinous complexity of the best beers of this style, but it rates pretty well. My only hard knock would be the feel, which was oddly heavy and creamy. On the other hand, it is a nice looking beer.

 

 

 

 

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: rich brown hue with only the tiniest haze and a strong effervescence. Head pours a finger of nice tan foam. I like it.

Smell: nicely tart with a little sweet maltiness. Low on complexity, but well-enough done.

Taste: a nice, moderate sourness; toasty and malty underneath with a definite brown ale character to it. Not too bad at all.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a pretty good creaminess. I like it.

Overall: this is a pretty decent take on the style. I would say it is not quite there yet, but for the most part they do a good job here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murky, ruddy brown, off-white collar with no lace.

Smell is sweet and woody, lime citrus tartness. A bit candied.

Taste is sweet malt, a little tartress, some wood , pretty classically aligned, a little soapy.

Mouth feel is light, slick.

Drinkability is high. I'm a big fan of the style, and this is very well done. Just sweet and malty enough.