Barrel Series Brett Fruit Blend (2017)
Blackberry Farm Brewery

an even more compelling beer than the 2016 edition, here the fruit is much more robust, pineapple dripping from it, still with the kind of balance we have come to expect from blackberry farm, but a really flavorful and unique beer, seemingly more mature on the wild side than i remember the previous vintage being as well. i think the tropical fruit and the red wine barrels together is a great combination, we get things like plum and currant from the wine, tannic oak, but subtle, and then the sweetness of the mango and the obvious pineapple, its a really neat mix of elements not seen together often enough. there is some acidity here, some from the yeast, some from the wine, and maybe even some from the pineapple. i like how fruity it is yet also that is fermented down to near dry, already rather mature in the bottle. this also seems to be a little cleaner in the glass than the last one, the larger bottles maybe better than the small for letting the sediment settle and pour a little more tidy, still super alive and bubbly though. the brett is just a little sort of muddled to me, a mix of strains maybe, really the only kind of heavy element in an otherwise delicate brew. the sweetness from the mango and the tropical vibe come back at the end, compatible fully with the fruity brett. overall a really great saison, wild enough without being too much to drink a lot of. nice mix of fruits with the barrels, clever beer well executed. a great food beer as well!

 

 

 

 

 

Pours an effervescent honey color with a sliver of fast dissapearing beige head.

S: Barnyard, pineapple & mango

T: A little funk, a little grassyness, pinepple with a kiss of redwine grapeyness/oakyness up front. More red wine chareacteristics as this warms, along a liitle acidic & funky pineapple. Finishes dry with pineapple & a little tartness & acidity

MF: Medium body, moderate carbonation

Easy to drink, a little different, the pineapple is a nice touch

 

Never settling for the status quo, the team of brewers at Blackberry Farm complement the natural character of farmhouse ale with a fruit forward balance to accessorize the spicy, dry and effervescence of a standard saison. And they do it masterfully.

Light, dry and crisp, the precursor beer starts with a glowing golden hue, diffused with a slight fog. Aromas of citrus and earth are overcast with tropical fruits for a ester rich, exotic perfume- albeit calm and light. Its taste lays gently on the tongue with light biscuit, honey and sourdough.

And as the flavors open up on the middle palate, its sweetness breaks apart and the juiciness of fruit become empowered. Pineapple and mango additions become obvious although its strength in taste remains disciplined and reserved, adding just a bold nuance to the otherwise spicy, lightly tart and earthen flavors that would govern. Early musty scents trail into a powdery wood and dried tropical rind taste for an element of charm and rusticity to close the session soundly.

Lightly bittered with straw and grassy hops, the medium light ale trails with a dry, bubbly texture that highlights the beer's spices to bring the beer within balance, perhaps trending fruity because of the tropical fruit addition A brief aftertaste of burlap, dried pineapple and grassiness extend into a soft afterglow of fruit pastry.