Amber + Brett 4ever
Crane Brewing Company

750ml bottle. 2016 vintage. Appearance: Cloudy brownish read, hazy, with a really thick, fluffy off white foam head that leaves a nice lacing. Aroma: Strong funky brett aromas, hay, grassy, earthy. Can’t pick up any malt notes. Taste: Light, toasted maltiness that turns to a lightly funky brett character that is high on hay and grass. Brett dominates the flavor, but is relatively light in intensity. Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Finish: Relatively dry with some toasted malt notes and strong funky brett retronasal aromas. Overall: A fairly simple beer that lets the brett yeast showcase it’s character. Maltiness is light and a bit thin, but the funky hay and grassy yeast notes add complexity. This beer would probably benefit from an extra 6 to 12 mths of age as the brett continues to develop.

Pours a murky ruby-amber with two fingers of white foamy head. Head formation is quick and eager, with good retention. Lacing is moderate to lacking. Aroma has a lactic sour tinge to it, which pops up almost immediately. Raisin and plum give the aroma some additional oomph. Flavor profile is sour, which is an interesting play with raisins, plum, and apricots making up the other notes. Mouth feel is filling, with a medium-thick consistency. Surprisingly filling. Overall, a fantastic beer. The Brett adds a nice sour note in both the aroma and flavor. Brett combined over amber makes it a very pleasant amber beer.

Served in a 12oz snifter.

 

one of my least favorite beers from these guys so far, granted enjoyed on a hangover so maybe a little fuzzy in the head, and still a great brew, but the brett profile is somewhat underwhelming for me. its not cheesy necessarily, but it has that young and immature aroma to it that carries into the flavor a little bit, and its a tad off putting. still funky but not dry and interesting the way i expected, and the way many of their other beers have been. the amber base beer is nice, lighter but still with some sweetness. a sort of rust color to it, with some clarity for a wild beer. i think the idea is better than the execution in this case though, definitely not what i expected from these guys, who have been nothing but amazing across the board so far. grassy notes to the brett, caramel malt sweetness in the end, an odd mix of flavors that is not all the way jiving with me. i think the move would be to find a bottle and sit on it for a year and see if the brett keeps on developing. seems to be trending in the right direction, but is not there yet...

 

 

L: nice amber look. So so head.

S: amber malt with strong Brett smell.

T: I like it. Not complex or anything. But just a solid straight forward beer. Amber and Brett taste .Just what it's meant to be.

F: average

O: good beer. Nothing special but I like it.

On tap. Poured a hazy, reddish gold color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled phenolic, yeasty and citrusy. Nice funky flavor with bitter bites of citrus and a toasted malt finish.