Secale Hoppy Brown
Baere Brewing Company

amazing amazing beer here, it needs some attention, and while its not as stunning and complex as the bretted edition, it stands perfectly well in its own right. one of my favorite browns in denver at the moment. aged in the laws rye barrels, the rye is so different than bourbon, more flavor and depth, and i think perhaps a textural contribution. clear and shiny, rather dark brown, definitely not a small beer, definitely not subtle on its grain bill. tall head too, over and inch, and a starkly contracting pure white color, slowly settling. it smells like the barrel first, but it tastes like the base brown ale first, a pretty neat switcheroo there. it seems somewhat less hoppy than the brett version in both nose and taste though, its a lot more subtle there, more integrated maybe, maybe more barrel time, or maybe my theory of hops not breaking down as quickly with brett gets more credence. either way, i dont miss them, the two beers are impossible to compare. smooth and a little sweet, but tempered by the rye character and the wood, the perfect balance of well put together grains and a great understanding of the barrel ageing process. this is a wonderful beer, almost beyond description, and worth taking a trip down to the brewery for, i cant imagine there is a whole lot of it left. i hope this becomes a staple on the menu, its fabulous!