Golden Chard
Forked River Brewing Company

500 mL bottle picked up at the brewery last month; listed at 6.2% and served well-chilled.

Pours a cloudy medium golden colour, with one finger of foamy white head seated atop. It withers and fades within a couple of minutes' time, leaving behind a bubbly collar and film, along with some scant lace. Vinous white grape acidity, lemon and mild Brett-y funk on the nose, with hints of oak, grainy pale malt, green apple skins and some floral notes.

A decent sour ale, though not a particularly interesting one. Fruity flavours of white wine grapes, apricot, lemon and green apple comprise much of the taste, underlain by subtle notes of grainy pale barley malts. Hints of oak and tart Brett funk, augmented by the slightest hints of vanilla and peppery spice; oak and funk linger into the finish. Medium in body, with moderately low carbonation that softly agitates the surface of the palate, and a relatively smooth texture. Not very complex as far as sours go, but quite easy to drink, and not at all challenging to do so.

Final Grade: 3.92, a B+. Forked River's Golden Chard should prove popular with white wine aficionados. It has been close to 2 years since I tried Golden Boy (the Belgian Golden Ale from which this beer was derived), yet I am reminded of some definite similarities, particularly the focus on orchard fruit notes. The white wine grape and oak barrel features that have been imparted by the barrel ageing treatment help differentiate and improve this compared to its progenitor brew, but this is still a fairly restrained example of a wild/sour ale. A good beer, but I preferred their Oracle.

 

 

Bottle picked up from the brewery. Served in a wine glass.

A - White foam quickly settles to nada. Lightly hazed dark golden body.

S - Lots of brett, with notes of stone fruit and some vinous notes in the periphery. Perhaps a touch of cereal malt as it warms. Quite nice, although it could stand for a tad more acidity. Nice brett strain here - not overly dirty or sweaty, but more fruity and lightly over ripe.

T - Taste is a bit less complex, with more oak and vinous grape character. Less funky, more tart, but not particularly sour yet. It's good, but a few more generations of house cultures might help amp up the depth.

M - Surprisingly aggressive carbonation that is style-appropriate and gives this effervescence. Medium body with an oaky dryness to it. Crisp, pleasant, but perhaps a tiny bit heavier than I'd prefer.

D - This was surprisingly good. Glad to see someone in Ontario gets the whole wild beer thing. I may have to go back to the brewery to get a few more bottles. Happily drank the 500ml bottle. Manages to avoid the pitfalls that plague many first wild beer attempts.