Wild Red
Stone Corral Brewery

 

 

my first beer from these guys is certainly an interesting one. im not sure i would call it a traditional flanders red myself, but they have used wild yeasts to ferment it from what i understand, and the shade is amber, so it fits well enough i suppose. this is unique in its yeast complexion, its bacterial and weird, but its sort of uncultured and unfamiliar to me, not the same bretty and sour mix everyone seems to be using, possibly fully ambient, although i dont know that for sure, and there is assuredly brett of some persuasion in here. it has some light vinegar sourness in the nose, cleaner citrusy sourness in the flavor, and some rustic farmy musty funk too, but i dont get any wood really, and it lacks the malt depth that i think it needs to support this bizarre complexion of yeasts. earthy, spicy, autumnal, dried fruity, trail mix, sweet nutty red malt, excellent carbonation, long weird tangy finish, lots of terroir here it seems, but im not in love with the flavors it yields, and a small pour was enough of this one for me. neat to have another player in the vermont scene making wild beers, i hope to get the chance to try more of their stuff before too long! worth a try just because of how different it is!

This was poured into a mini-snifter. The appearance was a hazy burnt amber color with a soft transparency about it. Carbonation could be seen rising at a moderate pace. The aroma starts off with fresh green apples riding into a nice pie/crust-like portion to it. The flavor brings it together yet more sourness spurs out into a dry tart to sweet refreshing apple aftertaste. Semi-sticky tart finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body. Sipping to sessionable feel to it. Low carbonation. Overall, good for what it is. SC pulled off a sour ale that actually smells like apple pie. Good job, I’d have this again.