Terroir
Sesma Brewing Co.

another really cool beer from these guys, who i have loved everything ive had from so far. this is a mature wild beer to begin with, a little maltier than a lambic or something like it generally is, copper in color with a soft hazy and a fizzy pour from the bottle but not much head after that. plenty of carbonation when i drink it, it just doesnt hold up in the glass. the aroma is a little tight when i first pour it, maybe its been in the bottle awhile, but it opens up beautifully. strong red wine tannins and attendant fruitiness of cherry, plum, and currant. some astringent sourness is also evident, lots of oak, and some curious farmy wild character too, really pretty complex if you give it some time. the flavor is bracing in terms of sourness upon first sip, but the palate attenuates quickly, and it becomes more complex, just like the nose, past the sharp acidity is a really cool funk and wood complexion, along with the grapes, which have an almost gritty big red wine texture to them, some fleshy sweetness, and a juicy autumnal harvesty vibe with the richer malt base. most of their sugar has been fermented out, but their influence here remains strong. the beer sips pretty mellow, and has an almost barleywine pace for some reason, despite being totally an opposite style. some peppy carbonation though, lots of earthy grape and vinous elements at the finish, and some funk to go with the acid. really cool beer overall, super mature, nice with some ambitious tapas for dinner!

Poured from 500ml bottle into glass. Bottling date is stamped on label as '1-38 6-18'. Label is marked as 'No 5'.
Cloudy, copper colored body. Fizzy head upon pouring immediately disappears. No lacing.
Aroma of cherry and oak. With a hint of lemon and red grape.
Taste is tart with a touch of sour. Cherry/lemon flavor with an influence of leather, tobacco, oak, and grass. Has a bit of sweet cherry. Tends toward a dry finish.
Fizzy, medium mouth feel. Higher level of carbonation.
Rather a straightforward sour beer without a lot of complexity, but presents itself as a very balanced and flavorful (plus quite aromatic) table beer. Easy to drink and refreshing.

Terroir might have been brewed only once and entered into BA on April 2015, but I found a bottle in March 2018 in Chicagoland and it was still good.

Looks like a classic lambic. Smells that way too, also clearly cherried. Tastes are as balanced as a good Belgian lambic, the tart is not too tart and it never gets to sour.
Dry in the mouth, Terroir went well with three different foods at brunch.

I point out an unusual coincidence: the last three brewers I've had are all from small towns; a line running from the Basque Country to just south of Barcelona that parallels the border with France. All have been small brewers associated with restauranteurs and all have had yeasts and modest spicing reflecting that culinary emphasis of melding flavors. Interesting that these culinary cultures are having their beers get some recognition in some quarters of the Midwest (I got all three bottles from The Beer Temple.)