Nepenthes
OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

 

Had this on tap at the Meddlesome Moth in Dallas.

Poured into a snifter it was a clean, bright yellow color with little head or lacing. Tart white grapes smell and taste. Spicy and herbal. Nice clean taste. Tart but very smooth and easy to drink. The 10 oz. snifter was not with us for very long.

 

This one pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color with a small white head, and a good amount of lacing.

There's a good bit of herbal funk from all the spices and herbs in this - the lavender especially comes through, giving a great floral thing. There's lemon zest, and some oak, citrusy funk, and some grassiness.

This is really, really well done - one of my favorite OEC beers I've had so far. The rye adds a nice funky spiciness, and the lavender adds a nice floral sweetness as well. There's a big lemony and zesty acidity - it's quite sour, as a lot of OEC sours tend to be.

This is light bodied, clean, despite the intense sourness, with a decent drinkability for the intensity.

This is one of the best OEC beers I've had yet - it's really well done, really intense, and really tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

750mL poured into a glass. Pours a clear yellow with a thin white ring of head. The nose is lemon and lemongrass with a faint background trace of funk. Palate follows the nose, but the earthy funk comes through much more prominently. Outstanding. The herbal elements are understated, which works well. Mouthfeel is medium-light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batch number 2 -- 9-10-15

 

Drank from a 1 Pint 9.4 Fl. Oz. bottle purchased at OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores), Oxford, CT
Batch Number 2
Batch Date 9.10.2015
Served in a tulip

With an aggressive pour, a finger tall crop of soapy, off white froth rose above the hazy, pale gold body. The head quickly fell to a film of bubbles that transformed into a clingy ring. A few small drops of lacing trickled down the glass.

Bretty notes came through strong in the aroma. Fairly tart yet also slightly sweet. Lemony. Lemonheads came to mind. Bit of lime too. Subtle Bandaid notes. Crisp and slightly dry. Touch of fruity sweetness in the background. Pineapple was detectible, along with a hint of mango.

The flavor profile was also fairly tart yet somewhat sweet. Lemony and moderately sour. Again, Lemonheads came to mind. Lots of lime as well. Pineapple was also noticeable. Slight wheatiness. Bit of white wine character. Subtle herbal notes. Touch of lemon rind on the finish. Not super complex but nicely balanced and really enjoyable.

The mouthfeel was nearly still. Somewhat watery. Really unusual for the style. The liquid contained a very fine, subtle effervesce that turned slightly creamy on the palate.

Nepenthes displayed no indications of the sage or lavender additions, subtle (if any) gin and Pinot Noir barrel notes and hardly any characteristics of a typical saison. This beer has "American wild ale" written all over it, and I am perplexed as to why it is not defined as one. That said, while this may not be a remarkably interesting or complex beer, it is very tasty and enjoyable nonetheless.