The Bee and the Barrel
Funk Factory Geuzeria

 

Just when you thought that imagination has met its match in beer making, there's a tandem of brewers that's there to change minds and tease palates. Funk Factory and Natural Spirit team up for a highly botanical, racy and spicy take on a non-conventional lambic-like beer.

Glowing bright with a translucent honey gold, the frothy and spirited froth that builds delivers a spicy sourness laced with pepper, botaincals, earthy, mossy and general cellar-like funk to the nose. A light and floral sweetness is of wafer, shortbread and honeysuckle in a scant, short and fleeting malt presence early on the palate.

But once the sour, funky and floral ale splashes the middle palate the senses are awaken with a fruitiness of orange, berry, grapefruit and the weathered character of lemon, lime and crabapple. Cleanly sour, the beer's acidity is bright but stunning in a dry, leathery and dusty taste while a spicy late taste brings about white pepper, gin, spruce and a bold oak presence equipped with wine-like tannins and damp burlap.

Light bodied and carrying a boastful thirst quenching character, the dryness and acidity erases the thirst with ease, finishing quick and with a whimsical aftertaste of both pez candy and mossy earthiness.

 

Poured bright peach color with just little translucence. Wow. Gin and orange citrus at the nose, very bright and festive actually. Taste is very clean, sweet with honey and balanced out by the bright orange citrus and botanicals. As it warmed up, it became more floral and sweet. Kinda like a cocktail. I find it just mildly sour with just very little acidity and funk. Maybe just the slightest alcohol presence from the gin. I'm so impressed, this might be the best FFG beer I have had so far. Extremely drinkable and so balanced. I wish I had another bottle.