Terroir Project: Chambourcin
Side Project Brewing

Terroir Project: ChambourcinTerroir Project: Chambourcin
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From:
Side Project Brewing
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
8%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 6.31%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
22
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 24, 2021
Added:
Oct 30, 2018
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
For the 2017 harvest, we also selected Chambourcin grapes from Noboleis Vineyards in the Augusta AVA along the Missouri River, located 32 miles west of our brewery. For this project, we used the same malt bill as our collaborators and co-fermented the wort with the must of the Chambourcin grapes. To extract as much color, body and complexity from the grapes, we allowed the hybrid to stay in contact with the skins for 4 weeks while the native microflora from the must and our Missouri cultures used in our brewing co-fermented the hybrid in stainless. The hybrid was then racked to French Oak 500L Puncheons and aged for 11 months before being naturally conditioned in the bottles and kegs.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MeLoynes:
Photo of MeLoynes
Rated by MeLoynes from Missouri

4.19/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Mar 04, 2019
More User Ratings:
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.34/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A 375ml bottle, 2017 vintage, poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.

Appearance: A clear dark ruby red colour with a thin pinkish head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.

Aroma: Light tartness, red wine grapes, vinous, funky, hay, oak, with notes of mixed berry sweetness.

Taste: Light sour and tartness, vinous, red wine grapes, light funk, oak, with notes of cherry and mixed berries.

Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.

Overall: Nice complex aroma and flavours. It was more vinous than expected, but the aroma especially was really good and everything was just really balanced.
Dec 24, 2021
Photo of gibgink
Reviewed by gibgink from Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours an opaque ruby red hue. Slight carbonation. Smells an earthy funk, with an echo of red wine that present, but more subdued and in the background. Somewhat similar flavor profile. There is a faint tartness that runs parallel to a saison-like, earthy flavor. There is a fruity character as well, kind of like watered down red wine. The finish kind of sucks the moisture from your mouth, leaving you with a thin filmy spittle mouth. Overall I really enjoyed this outing. Especially more so with the Vidal Blanc side by side.
May 10, 2021
Photo of SierraNevallagash
Reviewed by SierraNevallagash from Maine

4.28/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2017 - 375ml bottle - poured into a Chianti stem at 45°F.

Pours an intense, brilliant ruby gemstone red, nary a bubble in sight, sitting still and silent in the glass. When swirled, some fine fizz rushes up to the edges, so presumably effervescent. Crystal-clear and absolutely alluring.

Nose: When opened, it smells like an absolutely funk fest. In the glass, a very gentle and nuanced brew wafts notes of toasted grains, musty wet oak, bold, peppery red wine pomace, and then some interwoven threads of farmhouse - not terribly acidic, but notes of wet hay, limestone, leather, dusty attic, and this lovely blackberry-bush-by-the-river vibe. It's subtle, nuanced, and very inviting.

Palate: Unlike the aroma, acidity quickly greets the palate. It's quite balanced, not puckering, and rather quickly, sweetness from the malt and grapes quickly surround it and soften it. The grapes are so perfectly dialed in - beneath all the ale traits, but exploding with big, fat peppery Grenache notes - tannic, bold, dark, with some twiggy, stemmy notes, tannic berry seeds, and some dense jammy currant and plum, lending a fair touch of sweetness. There's just a dash of some farmhouse funk in all the right places. As the oak begins to come through, this while flavour profile shifts, straight into big barrel-proof bourbon territory. I'm thinking the oak here must be charred, because the finish just screams oaky bourbon. Heavily charred oak, red currant, blackberry, and peppery red grape mingle as the tight moodiness quickly dries this out, eventually letting the grain peek through again.

Mouthfeel/Body: Medium-bodied, it's fluid and swift, but it has that wine-like weightiness to it. It also seems to drink like the ABV is higher - even giving off some ethanol character. Despite its still appearance, there is some lower end effervescence that lends a nice sparkle. Semi-dry, eventually finishing dry, with a tannic bite.

Overall: Don't let the "hybrid" thing fool you - this is a wild ale first and foremost, with that classic Side Project grist character, surprisingly balanced acidity, and a beautiful fruit presence that just begins to dip a toe into the jammy area. It's so effortless, organic, and elegant, with some incredibly unique personality and nuance. There are some amazing grape fruited ales out there, and this may be one of the true greats.
Feb 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Jamison85 from Indiana

Jan 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.13 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Nov 25, 2020
 
Rated: 4.23 by SadMachine from New Jersey

Aug 01, 2019
Photo of Rristow
Reviewed by Rristow from Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted from bottle. Pours a ruby purple with white head. Aroma of berries, grapes, vinegar. Taste is moderately to heavily sour tart. Taste similar to aroma. Well done sour.
Jul 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Jul 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by kjkinsey from Texas

Jul 25, 2019
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Ruby red with a fizzy pink but quick to disappear head.

A unique combination of mature red wine oak and an unexpected kriek-like characteristic make for a wonderful experience. Peppery dark red grapes with hints of Belgian cherries fill the round, silky smooth body, accented by graham-like charred oak and a mild, somehow softening barnyard funk.

It's perfectly sour, and just lightly sharp in the semi-dry semi-sticky swallow, which brings out tannins on the exhale.
Jul 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by smartassboiler from Illinois

May 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.2 by RyanTheLion13 from Iowa

Apr 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.27 by aasher from Indiana

Apr 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by Old_Dead_Oak from Wisconsin

Apr 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by Beerbom from California

Feb 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.68 by BarleyAndBrett from California

Feb 08, 2019
Photo of StoutSnob40
Reviewed by StoutSnob40 from California

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Is it wine? Is it beer? It’s both, apparently. A ton of white wine funk on the nose, finishing with some crazy red wine tannins and dryness. Awesome stuff.
Jan 27, 2019
Photo of Tone
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri

3.47/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear mahogany color. 1/4 inch head of an off-pink color. Poor retention and poor lacing. Smells of wine, hint of sweet malt, and a hint of bacterial funk. Fits the style of an American Wild Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a low carbonation level. There is a strong dryness. Tastes of wine, hint of sweet malt, hint of alcohol, and a hint of bacterial funk. Overall, weak appearance, mostly wine, and weak body otherwise.
Dec 09, 2018
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
375ml bottle, served in a Side Project branded stemmed glass. Pours a dark purple reddish body, one finger white head, short retention and not much in way of lacing. Smell is classic red wine grape must; a fairly large amount of it, slightly tannic, bit of oak, moderate lemon, fair bit of acetic acidity, some acetone, which is slightly bothersome. Flavour follows, but it works better than it does on the smell. Much more vinous, yet moderately acetic with a mild acetone finish that works well to complement the red vinous character nicely. Very slight bit of oak and sweet red wine grape on the finish. Mouthfeel is lighter bodied, lower on carbonation, soft, and actually fairly red wine-like on the mouthfeel, a bit of cereal sweetness and red grape sweetness on the finish. This is a nice fairly red wine-forward wild ale, nice acetic tartness, ultimately a very slight bit unbalanced with a touch of acetone.
Dec 08, 2018
Terroir Project: Chambourcin from Side Project Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 22 ratings