Magnus
Foundation Brewing Company

 

 

500ml bottle, obtained at Foundation, poured into a tulip at 44F. No bottling date. Bottle conditioned.

Pours an almost crystal clear amber caramel color, if not exposed to any light. Once some light hits it, it has a brilliant red sienna body with brown tinged edges. No real head, but a twirl builds a small, quickly receding island of light tan foam, and a tan collar. Looks completely still. Final pour is much more brownish, and significantly cloudier.

Nose is huge sour funk. Relaxes a bit after breathing. Barn, farm, hay, horse, grass, soil, rain, citrus zest, iron, clay, with a big base note of cherry/dark fruit. Some very faint toasted malt in the way back.

Palate - you thought the nose was funky? Get ready. Big big funk. I can't really even describe it. It's a musty funk. I don't want to say rancid, because that's a nasty word, but it definitely has some huge funk that makes you think for a second. Definitely an EARTHY funk. It also possesses some red vinous - almost tannic character, and a very good oak presence. Before all that, though, It opens and greets initially with a lactic tartness. The tartness gives way to the funk/earth/vine/oak. That then slowly dissipates, and gives way to light - almost sweet - caramel toasted malt. The other notes fade, leaving subtle caramel into a long, but mild finish, and that slowly fades as well, leaving you to ponder the whole experience. I'm also getting that dark fruit/cherry on the finish as well. Final pour has much more chocolate, caramel, and wood in both the nose and palate.

Mouthfeel is very thin, with very little effervescence. With a fair amount in-glass, it's not flat, and has some bubbles few and far between, but still enough to call it carbonated. Once you get down to a lesser amount though, it's just a few bubbles above "essentially flat". But a half full or more glass is fine. I would like a little.more bubbly, but it's not a deal-breaker.

Overall, this is actually my first Flanders/Flemish style red ale, so I don't have anything to compare it to, in terms of accuracy. However, as a wild/farmhouse/sour ale lover, this is incredibly intriguing. One of the funkiest sours I've ever had. Has a ton of character. Very unique. This is a brewery-only release, so it's not easy to get. But it's a reasonable price, and if you like wild ales, I have to highly recommend this unique brew from a fantastic Portland, Maine brewery.

5 oz pour on tap.

A: Slightly hazy brown and reddish body with a small khaki colored soapy head.

S: Lots of tartness hits you with some apples, vinegar, a little cherry, and some oak.

T: Pretty tart on the tongue with a nice bit of that soured-vinegar oak flavor complimented by some cherries and grape skin wine flavor.

M: This has a decent body on it, it really clings to the tongue might be the sourness.

On tap at the brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beer is a bright cherry amber color with no head.
There is a nice aroma of tart cherry, caramel, and oak.
It tastes even better. Tart cherry, caramel, and oak. Some other fruity sweetness. The beer is tart up front and finishes with sweet caramel.
Light-bodied. On the dry side.
Another great beer from Foundation!

Poured from a half liter bottle into a chalice.
4/4.5/4.5/3.25/4.25
Luminescent, clearish red-brown with no head.
Smells lactic and tart with some berries (cherry?) and a wine-like woodiness. Bit of musk or funk.
Much less sour than anticipated. Smooth, silky, flat with a rich, fruity flavor. Balsamic strawberries. Hint of vanilla. Red currant. Wine-like indeed.
Not quite a Flemish red, but I like it more for not being a slaveish reproduction. Scrumptious.

Notes
Grains: Pale, Maine-Grown 2-Row, Biscuit, Crystal
Hops: Columbus

Pours a deep coppery red with a quickly dissipating one finger head though there is a constant stream of bubbles rising and a halo left behind.

Aroma of caramel, oak, tart cherry, almond, plum, and lemon.

Tastes of tart lemon and plum, oak, almond/cherry, caramel, a little green Olive flavor that's quite interesting. Very sour up front winding down into malty sweetness and finishing on a pleasant tannic bitterness.

Light to medium bodied, bright carbonation, dry finish, no alcohol, maybe slightly astringent.

This is another tasty brew coming out of Foundations barrel program. It's pretty much everything I love in sour red, tart, fruity flavors, stabilizing malt, and a noticeable well integrated barrel character.