The Sparrow and the Crow
ColdFire Barrel House

february 2021 vintage, 7.6% abv, whole cluster sauvignon blanc, a year in white wine barrels, the topped up and refermented on sauvignon blanc juice, pretty epic, but i kind of wish i opened this bottle a little sooner than on thanksgiving afternoon with our shrimp cocktail and scratch cocktail sauce, like this is really sour, and i wonder if its always been like this or if it has gotten this sour over time, i dont think this is so old of a mixed culture wild thing, but the bacterial element has really come up strong, mouthwateringly sour in the nose, more piquant than i think flatters the fruit and the other fermenting agents, hitting that acetic almost vinegar spot, but i think im being too critical of a beer i actually really liked despite what ive noted so far about it. clear and blonde with a quick rise of bubbles but then it fades down to looking almost flat pretty quick, and even the carbonation doesnt stay in suspension very well, this should have a bit more life to it than it does, its spritzy at first but it doesnt last. the nose is lemony and tannic, the grapes are obvious, even varietal specific to my nose, hints of elderflower, meyer lemon, and sour warhead candy, clover honey but it isnt sweet, lots of oak, subtle vanilla from it, white vinegar, faintly european maltiness too, pils-esque. the flavor is great, the acidity is bracing but past it is a wonderful funk that walks adjacent to a lambic level complexity and woodiness, and the fruit is wonderful, identifiable and springy and rather robust despite this being worked down to dry. bretty, citrusy, tangerine zest specifically, wet stone type minerality, some tannins from the grapes, a fair bit of newish oak, and just enough malt to keep it beery, which is an important part of the balance this has. the acidity is over the top though, its limiting and distracting and i do wish i tried this fresher, i like the wood and the funk and all of it really, but its too sharp and intense, i bet thats a product of time. a good reminder to go through the cellar from time to time and see what needs to be popped, but a fun beer, a great expression of this grape in a beer, and something pretty special anyway. i dont know much about coldfire but i will be looking for more after this, ambitious and well executed.

Muted, hazy gold colored body; lively carbonation bubbles; one-finger thick head, white and dense. Sweet, lemony aroma; very discrete presence of brett funk. The taste mirrors a good deal of the smell; nicely balanced blend of juicy fruitiness with a touch of oak and white wine; a tad sour with some horse blanket elements; a trace of phenol. Medium body; somewhat watery and fizzy overall; some dryness interacting with some acidic tartness.

I like the balance to this beer. It has a well-balanced sense of lemony tartness and juiciness with a nice undercutting of mild brett funk and dryness.

"Oak-aged Farmhouse style ale with Sauv Blanc juice" Per label "Smart and sacred, the sparrow and the crow, aged with sauv blanc juice from our friends at Territorial Winery. A blend of foeder and barrel aged ale secondarily fermented with a mix of our favorite brett strains."