Biere D'Automne
Blackberry Farm Brewery

 

Appearance: Opens with a loud pop and a bit of a spume; pours a clear burnt orange with a one finger head; dots of lace

Smell: Very funky with a real barnyard tone; herbal with strong arugala tones

Taste: The arugula and sage elements blend, up front, bringing a strong, herbaceous character; funky, with a strong barnyard aspect, in the middle; the finish is medicinal

Mouthfeel: Medium body with relatively low carbonation (as often happens with the beer gushes a bit)

Overall: I have enjoyed a number of beers from Blackberry Farm but they seem to have disappeared from the shelves in North Carolina; this one just didn't work as the adjuncts really created an unpleasant flavor profile

 

in collaboration with new belgium, its another clever beer from blackberry farm. this one uses sage blossoms, arugula flowers, and pine buds, and is quite a bit more acidic than many of the others i have had from these guys, some of the new belgium culture likely in here and accountable for that. the beer has a slightly deeper color too, rusty orange to me, not quite clear, but with a high and airy white belgian looking head with excellent retention. aroma is immediately bacterial and acidic, with some oak and aromatic herbs evident, white wine tannins too, and fruit nuances behind the herbs, orange peel, golden raisin, and apricot. the flavor is nice, a multigrain sort of base gives it some cereal character and grounding, while the sage really comes up in the middle, odd with the acidity, but it works, and there is a neat peppery character with the bretty funk at the end, likely the arugula flowers making their presence known. its a cool combination of flavors, and i love the idea, but its a little too sour to be real drinkable, and the botanical elements arent real balanced to me, the sage dominates, and it is increasingly intense as i let the beer warm up awhile. carbonation is there, but the acidity is higher than flatters the flavors i feel. fun beer to try, neat these guys have gotten together to collaborate a few times now, but i almost feel like this would be better with the blackberry farm saison yeast and none of the souring agents. anyone else feel this way? i liked the beer, but its a long way away from my favorite blackberry farm offerings!