Ellipsing The Sun
Ecliptic Brewing

 

 

 

what a strange beer this one is. a wild ale with peaches and apricots and lemons in a white wine barrel. its funky and puckery and yeasty and fruity and summery and really weird overall. orange and hazy but really active on the carbonation and the amassing white head. it smells like peaches and apricots and white grapes for sure, but it also sort of smells like pickles. maybe something in the yeast, but it has a vinegar component for sure. its attractive to me because it is so unfamiliar. the fruit is very forward in the taste, but so is the wine barrel. chardonnay i think, maybe sauv blanc, it tastes dry and tangy, high acid, oaky. its darn hoppy too, maybe citra, i get orange peel and lemon for sure, and a sort of gin botanical thing, hops and juniper coming out. they did a lot to this beer, it almost sounds like it would have to be too much, but its not somehow, it all works, and it gets better as it warms up. more apricot than peach, lots of juicy hops in the end, mandarin orange notes, and a whole lot of yeasty funk, sort of belgian and bretty both, with some sour coming on late. i dont think it benefits from being so strong, but at the same time i am not sure a lighter beer could support all the depth here. this was a real treat, incredibly unique. i have to imagine its not easy to navigate this many tricky ingredients and processes, but they have done it brilliantly.

 

 

Attractive orangey amber color with a decent pile of foam in the Affligem chalice. Quite sharp and spritzy in the mouth. Intense aroma of fermenting fruit and Chardonnay. This is really very winey.

It has shaded into a little tartness but more of the woody astringency from the barrel. An alcoholic fruit cocktail is going on with a little of the white wine buttery flavor. This is quite acidic as well as hot with alcohol. The Belgian yeast doesn't seem to help this concoction, with the mineral dry finish and bitter aftertaste. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham, Wash.

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Pours cloudy burnt orange with a small white head. Aromas of peach, orange, gin, and a little funk are noticeable. Flavors are strong up front with juicy peach and some citrus , followed by gin and a peppery bite. Overall, this would be a great beer for a hot summer day. Tastes like a peach gin drink. Very refreshing.

 

From bottle dated 9/23/2015. Pours a cloudy browny red with 3/4 inch cream colored head. The smell of white wine dominated the nose. Absolutely no other smells come out, just wine. The taste is off, I can't pinpoint it but this might have been past its prime. No evidence of Peach, Apricot, Lemon or Juniper at all no hint. It tastes like bad white wine. It's amazing what barrel aging can do to beer. In this case it has ruined it. Overall I was very exited about this collab but wish I was able to try it fresh to see how the fruit balance the barrel aging. I should have known better to age a fruit beer, oh well out $15.

Nabbed a 22 fl oz brown glass bottle for $15.99 USD in Centennial, CO because of Cigar City's involvement. Reviewed live as an "ale brewed with peaches, apricots, lemon, and juniper aged in white wine barrels" ... so, a fruit ale, then.

A: Pours a ~2 inch off-white cap. Frothy and mildly creamy, with a nice even consistency of adequate thickness. Leaves little lacing as it recedes, which takes about 6-7 minutes.

Body is a clear copper of above average vibrance. No yeast can be seen within.

Appears well-carbonated. The soft head coupled with the copper makes it a nice looking brew, albeit not a remarkable one.

Sm: The fruit profile is off-putting. Lime, booze, caramel, sweet candied peach, lemondrop hops, boozy tropical fruit. Sweeter than it ought to be and alcohol-riddled without any white wine or oak barrel character ever emerging.

Suggests an imbalanced hot beer of low drinkability. Aromatic intensity is average.

No yeast is detectable.

T: Boozy and sweet, with a tropical fruit emphasis at its core. Candied peach, candied apricot, heavy caramelization, caramalt, pale malts, boozy pineapple. I'm not a fan of the fruit profile, but thankfully none of the purported juniper used in this beer is coming through. It's absolutely too sweet; higher attenuation yeast might not help, though, as it'd boost the ABV still higher. Less sugars in the grain bill would be a good start...less caramalt in particular.

Oddly built, with no clear focus or direction. I'm not sure what they're going for here, and there's zero white wine/oak barrel presence to boot. It's not very approachable, and I find myself wishing I had company to help me finish it.

TEXTURE: Hot, medium-bodied, overcarbonated, smooth, wet, and slightly syrupy. Not oily, sticky, gushed, astringent, harsh, or rough on the palate. This mouthfeel doesn't suit the flavour profile all that well, nor is it ideal for a fruit ale in general. Too thick and hefty on the palate, where it should be light and refreshing.

OVERALL: Drinkability is low on this one, and not because it's a sipper meant for savouring. It's a mess of a build, and if they're approximating Belgian golden ales and adding fruit, they're failing. Fruit ales rarely work well at this high an ABV, and this is no exception. More of a berry focus might work better in terms of the fruit profile (see Delirium Red), but I'm not sure anything aside from a complete retool of the grain bill could make this a worthy offering. Disappointing seeing as it has Cigar City's name on it, and incredibly overpriced for its lack of quality. I'd caution others from buying this, and will finish it only with some effort.

Low C- (2.56) / BELOW AVERAGE

 

 

 

Smells like a wine cooler that could be called Nectarine Breeze under some other label. Boozy finish. White wine and fruit are front and center. Mouthfeel is lacking, but typical for an American-made 'Saison'. Good in small quantities, but would not seek out again.