Vielle Blanc
Bale Breaker Brewing Company

Pours a clear amber with a modest but persistent wisp of foam in the Brigand chalice. Aroma is chardonnay, and a whiff of .apple cider. Tangy and spritzy on the mouth. Rich and all the flavors-- dry, sweet, acidic but in restrained procession. Veers into the Belgian yeast for the finish, I really forgot about the style-- this actually does taste more like wine than beer, but in this case it's a good thing. Just a hint of wood in the aftertaste.

It is a powerful ABV and tastes very strong, like dry and fruity sparkling wine. From the 750 ml bottle, waxed and capped, purchased at Haggen Market for a "reasonable" price. Aged 16 months, bottle 2/21/2022.

waxed wild beer in large format bottles from bale breaker? i have seen it all now! i had no idea these guys made beer like this at all, heck i was surprised when i met their pils for the first time this spring! this really is quite the evolution for one of the regional kings of hops. done with white grape juice in white wine barrels with brett, a strong saison type base, viognier and roussanne, super heady. carbonation flashes on the pour and holds decently well on top of the at first clear then later hazy orange brew, some viscosity apparent but also some effervescence, airy white lace on the edges of the glass, less delicate though as we work towards the bottom. the nose is crazy, perhaps a little more sour than expected, but its quite wild, maybe some funk factor from the grape juice too, not sure, but it seems unfamiliar, bretty sure, and wooden absolutely, but with a sort of strangeness about it, a hint of vinegar, and maybe a trace of like, hey this is their first crack at this, but its more compelling in the flavor. high wine factor here too, ripe stone fruit, minerals, and tang. the flavor is a cool mix of wine and beer to me, like the grapes are less like grape juice and more like wine, and the beer isnt so light that its all fruit, its malty enough, wheaty, even a touch nutty, so the saison base part remains a key aspect of this. the yeast is estery, pear and apricot maybe to me, with the floral element of the roussanne on particular display to me, elderflower and rose. lots of oak and alcohol heavies it up even with all the bubbles, and some lingering sweetness and acidity clash a little on the palate, but its long and favorable, just more drastic at temperature. in this end, this was not only rare and delicious, but also quite unique as wild and grape types go, memorable even, and for me preferable to the rouge edition we had just a day or two later. the white grapes in the white wine barrels makes a cool theme for this, and i hope they do more of this sort of thing. a very cool offering, thanks to my buddy for buying and sharing both of these, a very compelling new side of an already exceptional brewery!