Eau D'Vine Blanc
Toolbox Brewing Company

 

for the north of 20 dollar price tag, i wanted to like this more and i wanted it to be better than it is. these cats have earned my trust though with a bunch of killer beers, so this fancy boy seemed like an obvious choice to pick up. its a sour ale with muscat grapes aged in oak, and admittedly muscat is rarely my favorite grape for a wild ale of this nature, despite its out of nowhere popularity among the heavy hitters in the field. they are almost always too sweet and obvious that the yeast is sometimes lost to it a little bit. thats not really the case here, and the sweetness of the grapes is actually needed for balance. this thing is insanely acidic, i was glad i was sharing the bottle. it pours an almost dead still looking cloudy straw yellow color after the initial soda bubble rush settles down. its not particularly attractive without any head. the aroma is sharp, some lambic wood and funk to it which i like, but a totally overdeveloped bacterial acidity, lactic mostly, that really dominates and seems to pull tannins from the grapes and the barrels. that said, there is a lemony freshness to it against the wood, and my mouth waters to taste it. the sourness is overwhelming right away, and it seems somewhat devoid of the anticipated complexity because of it. however, i slow myself down and allow this to warm up, and it rewards my patience. some of the harshest sour elements seem to dissipate out from it, and the citrus, the lambic maturity and yeast complexity, and the bright living wine grapes all really have their moment. by the finish though, its back to almost artificially sour, and the nuance is but a memory. this has flashed of brilliance, but also flashes of being kind of amateur. i cant accept this mouthfeel. for 23 bucks a bottle or whatever, this needs to be carbonated better, no excuse at all, its bubbly but it doesnt hold, and then feels flat, its not right. its also more sour than it needs to be. i bet this ages well, and i did enjoy its most unique features, but its a revision or two away from warranting its price tag...

750 bottle poured between two glasses. Look is clear yellow with a fizzy white head that quickly dissapates and leaving minimal to no lacing behind. Smell and taste are: grapes, tart, funk, barnyard, hay, oak, vineous, lemons! Feel is light and effervescent, dry in the end! Overall this is tasty as hell and i wish i had another for a longer cellar time!