Shadow Factory: Cranberry/Raspberry
Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales

 

aside from that mach limit tempranillo grape beer they did awhile back, this shadow factory series has represented the very best of black project here in the early(ish) going. some of the hoppy stuff and the straight saisons need some cleaning up, but this is am amazing base beer, and the fruit combinations have been outstanding. here, the tartness of the cranberries and the sweet tang of the raspberries are brilliant with the clean acidity of the base beer. the color is sensation, deep saturated red, with a nice lasting almost inch of head on it. aroma of grape skins, cranberry pucker and acidity, moderate wildness, wheaty malty richness, and a creamy sweetness. the flavor is great, both fruits in equal proportion, with the right amount of sourness to be snappy without cutting in to drinkability. i like the richer fluffier feel, the bigger body, and the density of the fruit itself as well. this is well built beer, and while i think the boysenberry edition is even better, this is a really cool multifruit brew. some of black projects best work so far!

Served in a tulip

Appearance: beautifully pink with a light pink “spritzy” head of superfine bubbles, which fades quickly. The beer is completely opaque even when held directly to light. The color resembles a pink lemonade if it were clouded by the addition of milk. Beautiful!

Aroma: wonderful raspberry-jam in the nose with a slight funk. Minimal lacto and little indication this will be sour.

Flavor: excellent fruit flavor; almost entirely raspberry, little if any cranberry. Far more tart than the nose implies. The fruit flavor lasts for only a second before the sour assault. No hop or alcohol flavor.

Mouthfeel: spritzy and tingly but not as carbonated as champagne. The body is light-medium, actually a bit heavier than anticipated, but you could easily polish off a 750ml.

Overall: damn good and beautiful. Probably the most alluring beer by appearance I have yet tried or encountered. The funk is very restrained, which I think could be increased a bit to improve this beer. Excellent nonetheless. However, something is absent from this beer that prevents it from being “holy shit” impressive.