The One Percent
Off Color Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

A new release from Off Color, I'm thrilled to write the first review of this invention that works... despite its name for those who do not work much compared to what they earn.

1% opens with refreshing Looks; sporting decent foam and, more important, a strawberry blonde tinge from the cherries. There clearly is a richness in the way this wit Smells. (Too many wits Smell like a mish-mash fruit cocktail.) Since they are most prominent, I'm going to assume 1% has rich aromas from the cherries (considered a rich fruit to complement rich ingredients, like chocolate) and the barrel. Tastes follow closely; an integrated ale whose derived from extra care and invention. (I believe this is the first barrel-aged wit I've had of my 105 wit uniques on BA.) Off Color further proves to me with this ale -- and from another angle -- that they have gotten better control of their yeast QC which, in their earlier years, had separated them from competing the Belgian masters... IMHO. With all those superlatives, something has got to give. And it does: this ale's bubbles are only better than average.

I am a big fan of Off Color. I am pushing 50 uniques with them and have more multiples with them than any other brewer on the planet. As a Belgo-phile, I'm thrilled to have them as my neighborhood brewer (although Chicago is still developing a wealth of Belgo-riches.) Off Color has one of the great senses of humor in the brewing world; judged during my long consuming career. And the Off Color humor includes a sense of irony that too many brewers cannot cultivate. The 1% falls in that line along with the label copy of Class War.

So if I seem enthusiastic about Off Color, I am.

8/14/20 My second of the 4-pack. I've edited my review for clarity and am satisfied and think it is time to keep count over at UnTappd... along with some shorter commentary. Cheers !

 

 

 

 

a crazy process on this one, its a cherry gose aged in boubon barrels, but then blended back with fresh gose and refermented on cherry juice, pretty epic idea, and the execution is on point, as with nearly all the off color stuff. this was an exciting treat and one of the more complex and unique gose types i have ever known, i always count on off color to deliver something unique, and they surely do here. the base beer is simple, lightly salty and cleanly tart, with a little bit of an additional pucker from the cherries, and a light lemony aspect from the souring, wheaty but tidy. the bourbon is neat in a sour like this, its not heavy but its flavor is real distinct. the vanilla note and the sweet whiskey flavor combined with the cherry almost give it an old fashioned cocktail vibe, which is cool in a beer thats so light like this. i love the rose pink color, and i somehow thought it would carry a lot more cherry. its subtle, oddly dry for being barrel aged and fruited, the salt, even though its not a driver of the beer overall, must be responsible for some of that. the cherry does add some additional tartness, sharp and even vinous right before the finish. whiskey and wood are there at the end too, and through all of it the wheat malt. smart beer, thoughtful and really unique, drinkable for what it is too, and just really impressive in every aspect again from off color. these guys are one of my favorites in the game, and it was a pleasure to hit up their chicago space again and drink through more of their stuff!

 

This was a BBA cherry wit when I had it, rating here rather than adding a new beer. Look is a ruddy orange, slight haze. Smell is woody and acid, cherry and a bit vinuous. Taste is acid forward, citric in nature, wood and more cherry wine late. Feel is crisp with nice carb. Light alcohol burn, which is fun from a 5.8% abv beer. Overall an excellent beer and a very unique offering.