Cuvée Reserve
Propolis Brewing

 

Poured from 375mL corked bottle into a tulip. The label calls this a "saison ale with Brettanomyces aged in a cognac foeder"; I'm intrigued.

Appearance: light golden hue with a thin layer of white foam atop. The color is really nice, although a little more head would be good.

Smell: floral and very slightly sour with a very honeylike character. The Brett element is subtle, yet enticing; I like it.

Taste: there's a definite funk here, along with a mild malty character and a little bit of sourness. It's good indeed, but it doesn't have a ton of complexity beyond the Brettanomyces. I don't think I'm tasting the cognac foeder at all.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a moderate carobonation. I feel like this beer would benefit from a lot more carbonation, or perhaps just a little more overall weight.

Overall: the texture on this beer is a little thin, but overall it is very tasty. I think that it might not quite live up to the expectations created by the label, but that notwithstanding it's still a very good beer.

 

 

for me, the jury is still totally out on these guys, i have liked everything better from the bottle than on tap so far, and its not even close really, but i keep jumping on them when i see them. this one is a little funkier than many, but still with what seems like a messy acidity, and even if its cool that its wild, its not all that appealing as a profile, at least to me, its weird, not cheesy or sweaty, unique which is fine, but its not a good unique, at least to me. this has a cool wood profile though, very vinous, mature, and it really drives the flavor, especially with such a simple grain base and relative lack of hops or any funky fruit or botanical additions i have known in their other offerings. perhaps its just a bit young, but it seems unrefined oddly, like its not sloppy or thick, its just the yeast, like it hasnt really righted itself yet. i bet if this got bottled those will be preferable. keg conditioning just isnt the same, hard as everyone tries to make that work just as well. there are some cool nuances here, the brett part is neat, there is a white wine fruitiness, and a floral springy energy about it, but its a little under carbonated, a little twangy at the end, and just not quite as dynamic as i was hoping for. the wood part is rad, and this is different and ambitious enough that i will keep trying their beers. anyone else have this experience with these guys over and over again?

This is described as "Saison Ale with brettanomyces aged in a Cognac foeder." It's just a little tart. There is not much barrel flavor, but a certain mellowing and the fragrance might be helped by the Cognac. Not much carbonation in the mouth, but it's tangy-- well, zingy with acidity though not veering toward the vinegar.

Some fruity esters and a high, lemony note. Just a slight yeasty bitterness in the finish. Lingering wood in the aftertaste. This is among my favorite of the Propolis microbal fantasies. It 's quite drinkable while being more warm and friendly. From the 375 ml corked bottle purchased at the brewery tasting room.