Small Batch Hoarders: Grape Escape
The Bruery Terreux

Popped this during the 2021 Hop Harvest. So this is basically their Summa Vitis (a beer I love) in a bunch of wine barrels turned into a gose? A 12.8% gose? Is this real life? WTH?

Pours a red wine like color, already quite different than the yellow Summa Vitis. Lacks much in the way of head formation. The aroma doesn't really tell me if this is grape added to beer in wine barrel, or just beer in wine barrel. But it smells like the booziest gose of all time, because it is.

The taste does display some of the things that made Summa Vitis great, unmistakable wine/grape influence, but here there are like three varieties instead of one. Given the relative lack of exposure to wine to the same extent as beer, I tend to prefer single grape/wine barrel varietals so I can get a more dialed in, informed opinion of them. Carbonation seemed up there for an appearance yielding almost no head. Its pretty damn acidic. But you know what? Where is the salinity that makes a gose a gose? Could be there, but at 12.8% who is really gonna perceive a little salinity like you would in a 4% gose?

Just a flaw in the design, glad to see it called a wild ale here, its more akin to that, but jeez, even at this abv, like, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Definitely preferred way cheaper, and better, Summa Vitis.

A: Poured into a Bruery tulip to a deep golden beer which is topped by a small white head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of intense funk and minerality with a touch of oak. Slight melon with an almost floral note as well. Tons of white wine grapes going on too
T: Taste is somewhat malty up front with a touch of caramel before some minerality comes in, a touch of melon, nice funk, a bit of oak, nice tartness thoughout along with a bit of orchard fruits. On the swallow there's more minerality, melon, orchard fruits, tartness, funk, and oak.
M: This beer has a moderate amount of body with a slightly syrupy feel on the palate. Carbonation is on the low end and is slightly effervescent while the beer has a drying feel from the acidity.
O: Overall this is an interesting beer. There's a lot going on and it has a ton of complexity. I wish it were a little more sour but that's a minor complaint. Very enjoyable to drink, but heavier than expected.

 

375ml bottle poured into a teku

A- clear golden color, one-finger foamy white head

S- lots of grape on the nose, with some wine-like aromas, there's also a peppery oak element, as well as a hint of wheat

T- not as tart as expecting, more malty and boozy. Plenty of grape notes, as well as spicy oak. The finish is salty, with more grape on the linger

M- medium viscous body with moderate carbonation, thick mouthfeel and finish

O- salty without the tartness, this one was a bit strange

375mL bottle acquired through The Bruery’s Society. No bottling date, released June 2018. Served in a Bruery teku. Enjoyed 10/24/18.

Pours a deep, rich, nearly fully opaque amber with a generous cap of ecrue head. That froth settles quickly to a few surface wisps, a thin perimeter and no lacing.

Smells a little sour with notes of grape juice, wine, fruit skins, some old wet wood, jam and a hint of licorice.

The flavor is considerably more earthy and funky than sour, with those grape aspects retaining dominance. Red wine, grape skins, wet wood, desweetened grape juice, earthy funk, faint licorice and a little alcohol. The booze is noticeable but much less intrusive than anticipated.

Dry, medium full feel with fairly low carbonation. The semi-chalky finish combines wine-soaked wood with old, unsweetened, grape-laden bread pudding.

Surely an interesting release from The Bruery but a miss for my tastes. The blend of grapes and wine barrels works pretty well but the base doesn’t do much for me. I have a difficult time labeling this a gose and at almost 13% abv it is three to four times stronger than typical.