Infinite Dawn
Rhinegeist Brewery

 

2019 vintage

amazing and complex sour blonde here done in oak. its super interesting beer, i had no idea these guys were doing funky beer like this, but its really refined and dialed in, sour as it is, i am really impressed! the packaging is gorgeous here, and so is the beer inside, pale golden in color, lightly frosted looking, with a tall rising white head, belgian looking and airy, lacy, and lasting. big citrus notes in the nose, lemon and grapefruit, a bit astringent and really sour when i taste it, but not without character, clean but funky, with a lot of well developed brett in the mix as well, and things like white wine and apricot emanating from the oak, which is new tasting and interesting here, especially as a vector for all this funk. the layers are awesome, some nice wheaty malt at the base is perceptible, and the body it adds is lovely, softening this some. carbonation is effervescent, and farmy weirdness is high, almost some lambic tones to this as it warms. impressive beer overall here, i wish some of these would make their way in packaged form to colorado, i would buy this for sure if i saw it here. this also has me really curious about other sour and wild beers these guys make. a level of quality i was not expecting for some reason. very good!

 

 

Because of their proximity, Belgian beer is often referred to as "wine-like". But why do we not refer to French wines as "beer-like". To further blur those lines, its beers like Rhinegetist's sour blonde ale that tease the palate with a taste that's easily compared to the zesty white wines of the Champagne region.

Easily billowing to the rim of the glass, Infinite Dawn pours with the racy appearance of hazy champagne. Its cottony froth holds firm while the ale tickles the nose with sour impressions of cider, citrus, melon and white wine. A slight musty scent adds a peppery twinge before its taste lays a light malt sweetness across the front of the tongue with lemon meringue, sourdough and key lime pastries.

Popping like sparkling tonic across the middle palate, the ale releases its sweetness while the expansive carbonation carries away any residual breadiness. Left in its wake lies a wealth of light fruits. Lemon, crabapple, gooseberry, white grape, honeydew, kiwi, grapefruit and pear all come to mind at some point before its late palate counters with a mild drift of burlap, sandalwood and lemon pepper.

Increasing sourness makes its most intense mark on the finish as any malt influence further dissolves. Its relatively light body is exacerbated by the arid nature of effervescence. An evaporative cooling comes the the tongue with refreshing textures while a piquant citrus taste accompanies a faint bitterness into a short aftertaste of key lime and lemongrass.