The Qi: Blend No. 1
de Garde Brewing

 

Somewhat foggy amber-orange with a khaki foam head of moderate height.

That beautiful dG funk pairs with bitter rose petal and tannin rich oak while becoming very herbal of tea in the uniquely dry finish.

 

bottled 2020, two year old spontaneous beer in oak with 48 year old tea leaves, yes, nearly 50 years old, never heard of such a thing, i knew tea could be aged a few years but never heard of multiple decades until this beer, how extraordinarily interesting from an ingredient standpoint, had to try this when i read that on the label, price be damned, wow. its shiny clear golden to brass colored beer, short patchy white head but enough carbonation, its so subtle and interesting i dont want it to move any faster than it wants to on its own. the aroma is familiar de garde funk and wild yeast character, a little more acidic this time to me than some of their others, but equally bretty and mature too, full of oak, white wine, and even sort of yellow dandelion head character, herbal anyway, tart, lemon, orange zest, white balsamic, wildflowers, gin, very dynamic, i could sniff on it all night. the taste isnt as tea forward as i expected it might be, it seems mellow in its old age, bitter and kind of generically herbal to me without standing out as real robust, a light tobacco note to it, neat in a pale beer, just a little middle palate malt sweetness and wheat fluffiness. the tea is there more as it warms and almost all right on the swallow, cut up just a bit by the acid, but i get like wet green moss growing on rocks, marjoram, savory, and maybe a hint of funky apple cider. delicious but not quite as tea driven as i thought it might be, not even sure its crazy unique on the tea side, but i am no tea master, just thought it might stand out a little more, being such an uncommon and presumable rare ingredient, maybe it has faded some in the years its been bottled. still, remarkable beer, unique too, just more subtle than anticipated. its cool they sourced this tea for this, would love to see it appear in a fresher, perhaps less sour beer without so much oak so perhaps it could pop a little more, but its hard to complain with wild ale this ambitious and tasty!

Poured from 750mL corked bottle into my BeerAdvocate teku. Bottled December 2020.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a light haze and two thick fingers of frothy ivory foam. Dig it!

Smell: tart, a little bit funky, and a little bit grassy. There's also a lightly fruity character mixed with the grassiness; presumably this is the tea leaves. Smells very promising indeed!

Taste: quite tart, with a bit less of the fruity sweetness as I detected in the aroma. There's a definite bitterness and astringency toward the end. An earthiness develops as I take more sips. Definitely an interesting beer. It's good, no denying that, but it doesn't work on all levels for me.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a moderate carbonation and OK creaminess. I mean, long-aged sour beers aren't typically known for their body.

Overall: like I said, a very interesting beer, and one worth trying if the idea of tart funkiness followed by astringent bitterness appeals to you. I'm glad I'm drinking this bottle, but I'm not likely to seek it out again.

Slightly hazy unfiltered golden copper body. Crisp lemon, medium acetic acidity, light oak, perhaps a nice distinctly leafy herbal presence on the backend, presumably from the tea leaves. Medium bodied, oak and herbal tea finish. Tasty for sure.

Bottled12/20. Thanks, Sam!

A clear copper with a dense, off-white head with good retention and little lacing, this looks good. The nose is a lovely, rich funk, earthy, woody, damp and mildly musty with a noticeable tea character present. Lime, mild brine, pine, leather. The wet wood is truly old world like. The palate opens with a blend of bitter and tannic tea with loads of mushroom and earthy funk. Leather, lots of wet, rotting wood. Tea is present, noticeable and adds a tannic edge that complements the funk and wood. There's also an earthen undertone to it. Bitter lime peel, soft lactic acidity. Light in body, briskly carbonated, oak-heavy tannic finish that complements the funk. Impressive.

 

 

 

Appearance is a golden straw color that poured with a two finger white head. Continues to be effervescent in the glass. Smell is pure Oregon coast funk and oak, reminiscent of a great geuze. The tea is not directly evident in the nose, but do think an old tea like this just blends well with the wild bacteria - think astringency/tannins. Taste follows the nose, sweet, funky, metallic, oak, astringency from the tea. Feel is so great! Dry and effervescent, such an easy beer to drink. Overall, this is one of the best dG beers I have had. It represents the Oregon coast microflora, the tea bumps it up a notch, and it so easy to drink. This is what I wanted out of EoC.