Assimilation
Cellar West Artisan Ales

 

a really incredible blended saison here, in collaboration with amalgam, easily the best brew i have had from either operation, albeit i havent had a ton of them. the bottle is sexy and so is the beer inside, glowing lightly hazy golden orange under an airy white head, looks downright gorgeous, delicate but still substantial. its a cool blend, some amount of apricot sour in the mix, but that element is subtle, sort of enhanced by the oak and the white wine characteristics in here, especially in the aroma, where it combines with a very mature brett element, old worldy bacterial tartness ala young lambic, and a cool grain structure that shows both raw and pale wheat malt, the exact right amount of structure for this, and an excellent base for the yeasts. subtle apricot and peach in the taste too, a flash of sweetness, but this doesnt drink like a fuited beer. instead it has layer upon layer of interesting yeast from a winey french saison to a complex bretty mustiness and a sharp and piquant lacto element, its all there, and the balance between these is incredible. all the wood on it really helps it taste united too, mature, and there is faint vanilla and pine notes coming through as well. brilliant stuff overall, sure to age really well, and one of the better colorado made wild beers i have had in some time. an unexpected highlight in a lineup of heavy hitters across a range of styles. seriously fabulous!