Departed Days
Oozlefinch Beers & Blending

Golden orange body with nicely rising carbonation; one-finger thick head, dense and creamy. Fruity, lemony aroma with a touch of sweet white wine; green apple. Tart and earthy flavors with some brett funk and a twinge of hop bitterness; lemony; a bit phenolic; citrus tartness. Medium body; tangy and acidic with a touch of dryness at the finish.

Picked up this beer on a whim, and I'm glad I did. It is a well-rounded, tart and tasty imperial saison. It's low on the funk and high in the citrus and earthy flavors (the bottle label told the truth!). I'm not sure what date this was bottled on. Mike Donovan is listed as the brewmaster.

 

a neat imperial saison aged in chardonnay barrels. ive been seeing these awesome little bottles around town, always cool to welcome new breweries into the state. i hate the pricing on these, really high barrier to entry i feel like, which i dont think is a good look for a brewery nobody has ever heard of going to a new place, but it is what it is and i still bought one. its a tasty brew, i get a ton of the chardonnay (specifically) on the nose and taste, wet oak, tannins, hoppy nuances like lime and honeydew melon, and a bit more astringency from the bacteria than i was expecting, not quite as clean on the fermentation as i was hoping for, and frankly not as unique either, as much as i like the beer, it could have come from anyone, there is no real "house flavor" coming from their mix of bugs. citrus character in the acidity is nice, brine and mineral properties too, especially in the feel, and with the high carbonation, this doesnt drink anything like its high alcohol content would suggest it should, its lively and dry at the end and fresh tasting for being barrel aged, grassy and new, something that drinks way too easy. a little cheesy funk to this, but its not a flaw, and overall i thought this was nice beer, certainly a cool use of the wine barrels. i wont rush back for the others, especially at this price, but these guys are on my radar now...