Market Rate
Off Color Brewing

 

wine barrel aged sour wild ale with green and ripe red strawberries, i think the first time i have heard of a green strawberry in a beer, but it sure is present here in the taste, a really cool ingredient to add to a piquant golden sour like this, interesting and funky beer, but also one i am glad to be sharing, as its super sour, quite a bit more acidic than i am used to from these guys, and a little does go a long way. the strawberry character is full spectrum in here, ripe sweet jam and the tart earthy green ones, in both aroma and flavor they are prevalent. the base beer seems simple to me, a pale sour with some wheat in it, but not a lot of body or grain depth, meanwhile its mostly bacterial, a little farmy element to it, but the sour far outpaces the funk in the taste. some oak and wine tannins in here too play up the acidity, and the sweetness from the berries is hardly enough to make it drink balanced. there is a lemonade vibe to this with the sour and the fruit, and there is a cool and obvious maturity about it, maybe more wood than wine from the barrels, but it works. the green strawberries add a neat springy raw vegetal freshness to this thats really cool, almost like the strawberry plant itself, like when you eat a berry without taking the green top off of it. i really like this element, and am surprised how well it shows through in the final product. i do wish it was a little less sour, it really is harsh to drink much of, but the flavors here are awesome, and i love the concept!

 

On draft. Lighter golden yellow body. Subtle strawberry aromas waft from this otherwise mildly acetic, lemony wild ale. A bit of honeyed sweetness, trace biscuit, light oak, dry juniper. Clean and balanced, but the palate doesn't bring out as much of the strawberry as I'd like, medium lighter bodied, crisp and clean. Slightly dry. Good overall but I was hoping for a more jammy strawberry presence.

 

On-draught @ Off Color:

Bacterial complexity is notable. Acidic.

B- / WORTHY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017: 4.31
750mL bottle pours out a hazy saturated orange with plenty of foam and active rising carb trails.
Aroma is juicy tart wild strawberry and strong barrel funk. Brett forward, wet hay and ripe cheese rinds.
Tart and puckering sour strawberry, seedy and somewhat tannic, very acidic. Finish is crisp and bone dry.
Super drinkable, moderately sour, pairs well with cheese and charcuterie. Got close to Oudbeitje with this one.

2016 draft rating: 3.65