Cuvee De Kirk
Newport Beach Brewing Company

American ingenuity at work. This is a blend of two NBBC beers, which is then fermented with Brettanomyces, and finally barrel aged (in bourbon barrel, if I remember correctly). I'm usually down for a beer like this! On to the beer:

Dark red in color with a little lacing. You know, these wilf ales usually aren't the greatest looking. But they are usually among the most interesting. There is a mild cherry note in the nose, giving the beer a little sour note. I smell liquor as well (bourbon/brandy). It looks like this could be a solid liquor aged wild ale (LAWA).

The taste is agreeable for the first few sips. Cherry and cognac are a weird combo, but they work briefly. After that, the cherry becomes more like cherry flavored medicine. Then the liquor flavors become a little stronger, which further brings this beer into disequalibrium, especially as it warms. Interesting enough to drink, yes. Good beer....eh, not really for me.

It's encouraging when a brewpub goes outside the box. While I congratulate NBBC for doing that in the case of Cuvee de Kirk (named after the brewmaster), more practice couldn't hurt.