Amphora Oryza
OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

This is truly a unique beer.

Saison? Oak- or wine- barrel aged sour? Sake?

How about 12 freaking percent ABV?

It drinks somewhere in between all of the above. Sweet grape notes blend with a funky, musty light sourness, with the cleanness of a sake. Very dangerously drinkable, as while it's clearly potent, the 12% really expresses much more in the 6-9% range, more what you'd expect for this type of sour. Up front, it seems almost straightforward and simple (but very tasty), a blend of maybe three or four things going on ... but there's a very rewarding depth and complexity behind the funk, sour, and grape notes, rewarding you for slow sipping, savoring, and introspection.

This is a very special beer, probably not best for daily drinking, but certainly worth breaking out with friends and on special occasions.

 

 

 

On tap at OEC Brewing in Oxford, CT.

This one pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like stone fruit, peach, grape must, floral funk, sake, and lemon.

This hides the booze flavor extraordinarily well - it's crazy. It's got a big sweetness to it, but the tart and sparkling grape flavor, as well as some lemony candy funk help balance it out a bit. The sake is definitely a nice addition here, and adds a very cool dimension to this.

This is medium bodied, thick, but kind of creamy. It's a slow sipper for sure.

I didn't expect to like this, as I don't really traditionally like sake all that much. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality here.