Oak Theory
Casey Brewing & Blending and Barrel Cellar

 

A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 22nd December 2015. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.

Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a thin white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.

Aroma: Funky, damp wood, hay, lemon juice, pear, with light apple and floral notes.

Taste: Light to moderate sour, lemon juice, citrus rind, pear, apple, with light funk and notes of lime and wet wood.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: I heard this was described by someone as a table beer, and I thought that this was pretty accurate. It was brewed with the Senne Belgian sours in mind, so I’d call it a table gueuze when compared to the best of the gueuzes as although everything was enjoyable and worked together, it was still relatively muted in comparison.

 

 

750ml corked and caged bottle - 3/21/18 vintage - poured into a chardonnay stem at 38°F.

Pours a nearly crystal clear bright brassy golden, with a quarter-finger of coarse, bright white head building, before quickly settling down to a razor-thin collar. Some slow effervescence rises upwards.

Nose: A delicate grainy foundation supports a bright bouquet of gentle acidity, lending just a whisper of vinegar and plenty of lemon juice, tons spring floral notes, wet hay, river stone minerality, tons of wet oak, delicate farmy funk, some dusty stone cellar, petrichor, and underneath everything else, a pure, clean malt note that is very reminiscent of malt whisky. There is a lot of subtle nuance, even though the aroma as a whole is extremely delicate.

Palate: The ale greets the palate with an immediate acidity, which is delightfully balanced. Not puckering or bracing, but still very much a sour ale. Much like the aroma, it's rather delicate - very bright and sprightly, opening with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, wet hay, tons and tons of lactic minerality, some yogurt, a big vinous punch that lends many white wine-like qualities, buttery oak which lends its own unique musty type of funk, fresh flower petals, peach pit, and as it progresses, a faint melon-like note, which lends a nice fruitiness. Moving towards the finish, the acidity takes a sharp decline, and the brighter, fruitier notes begin to fade. The oak influence comes to the forefront, this time a bit drier, and the funkier, more brett-forward notes emerge. Into the finish, there is no trace of sour left, and the oak becomes slightly tannic, ever-so-slightly bitter, and everything dries out in a clean, conclusive finish.

Mouthfeel/Body: Truly the shining attribute of this ale. It is absolutely light-bodied - delicate and crisp, fleeting from the palate with no weight at all. The effervescence is simply diving - champagne-like, with even finer bubbles, and not quite as aggressive. This, paired with the gentle acidity, scrubs the palate clean, lifting off dry, and leaving you longing for tge next sip. It's nearly perfect.

Overall: This is a delightful Colorado wild ale. Once it has had several minutes to breathe, open, and warm up a little, I'm quite surprised by how much traditional Belgian lambic character there is here. It's so superbly balanced, with an approachable level of acidity, extremely delicate flavours, subtlety, and remarkable drinkability. It's almost subyle to a fault. What is has going on is dainty and beautiful, but I almost want a bit more complexity, funk, and oak - particularly given its namesake. Nevertheless, its a great wild ale, and it does a womderful job paying homage to the old word Belgian ales.

 

Bottle from 3/17/16.

Poured golden with a white head. Very clear without the dredges. Aroma is slight barnyard funk and oak. Some noticeable stone fruit. Taste is smooth tart lemon and funk on the back end. Finishes dry. Very fitting medium carbonation. Very drinkable with little noticable alcohol. I could drink this all day long.

2016 bottle from OrcaWhale.

L - 1/2 finger head dissolves rapidly, leaving a translucent yellow body.

S - white wine, funk, vinegar.

T - wine barrel, oak, funk, vinegar. Quite tart but only mildly sour. No bitterness. Low sweetness. No booziness.

F - medium-light body with appropriate carb.

O - a wonderful beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottled March 2016
750ml cork & cage bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours a slightly hazy golden.orange with a one-finger foamy white head that has great retention

S- funky barnyard yeast, dried hay, lemon peel, overripe pear, funky cheese, hint of white wine

T- tart lemon and citrus rind up front, complimented by some funky yeast that adds hay, barnyard and cheese notes. The finish gives more lemon as well as pear & white wine

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, slightly foamy mouthfeel and finish

O- clean, yet ripe & funky with good drinkability, very good

 

 

Bottle thanks to Stephen

 

 

 

 

Bottle: Poured a hazy yellow color ale with a medium size head with limited retention. Aroma of tart and sour notes with some oak. Taste is a mix of tart notes with some oak, some medium intense acidic notes with some light funky notes. Body is about average with OK carbonation. Interesting and complex but lacking some attenuation and a bit too acidic for my taste.

 

One line review: this beer feels like training wheels for people that are afraid of hopping on the gueuze bicycle.

Muted doses of sour apple and lemon zest both on the tongue and nose. There are hints of bretty barnyard funk toward the back end as well, but the flavors aren't as persuasive or demanding as they would be in the Belgian counterparts that the beer is attempting to emulate. The balance of flavors reminds me of Oud Beersel Oude Geuze -- well-rounded with all the flavors mostly staying within the lines.

The brew honestly feels more like a table beer than anything. It smoothens out all the elements of the Belgian style that the average drinker may feel adverse to (acidity, sharp tartness, funky oak) and turns it into a fine sipping apéritif designed to get the taste buds going before a big meal.

As the alcohol content and the price of this beer equals the standard ABV and cost attributed to most gueuze and lambic-style brews, I might venture and say this is to Hibiki 17 what a gueuze is to Yamazaki 18.

 

 

 

Bright pastel yellow with a clingy, creamy soft white ring.

Smell is maple, oak, wood, and almond funk transitioning on the palate to very tart lemon and grapefruit, finishing dry. Wow. Crazy complex!

 

 

Bottle dated 12/22/2015; opened on 2/5/17 and poured into a SARA glass. Nose of lime, green apple, oak, and funk. Palate starts with strongly acidic lime and vinegar, moving quickly into green apple which then lingers, followed by mild oak and funk. Not one for lime or green apple flavors in my beer, I’m having a hard time enjoying this.