2nd Anniversary Ale
Three Magnets Brewing

sour red rye ale aged in red wine vessels, bottle conditioned, very special stuff, a couple of years old now at least, cant thank my friend enough for getting and saving the bottle, of all the stuff we opened at his casa, this was among my most anticipated beforehand and one of my favorites overall in retrospect. it has a cool darker color to it, lightly cloudy but still shiny mahogany to brown color, short head but fizzy enough to drink even without much retention. it smells incredible, rye spice and old oak right away, some green glass funk, luxurious high end red wine, even a port wine fruitiness to it, light vanilla, red wine vinegar, decent acidity, raspberry and cherry, black pepper, wet soil, its the essence of autumnal wild beer and i love it. the texture is just okay, like the bottle conditioning didnt quite get executed perfectly, some carbonation, but it lacks the lively softness of the well conditioned. its also perhaps a little more acidic than most would prefer, but the flavors work with it, the tannins of the oak and wine, the earthy dry spice of the rye, and the toasted or caramelized sweetness the rest of the malt brings. its very fall, fruit forward from the wine, and drier at the end than it seems in the middle. some cool saison sort of funk to this too, its not all bacteria, and some oxidation that works too. decidedly different than a normal flanders red type. its really complex, slightly boozy as the temperature comes up, and vinous in a unique way. the rye adds a lot, and this ends up being a pretty special drink overall. maybe getting closer to the end of its worthwhile cellar life than they intended, but its fun and one of a kind, i feel lucky to have been able to drink on this one. i love these guys.

2017-07-03
750ml capped bottle served in a WABL sampler glass. Bottled on Sep '16.

Pours deep reddish brown with small to no head and very little carbonation. Smell is tart, cherries and spicy grain.

Taste is tart, cherries again. Pretty clear. Hint of sweetness to bring it toward sweet-tart. Rye is also present.

Mouthfeel is smooth and flat. Overall, it's pretty good, but not great. Just a little carbonation would help it a lot.