Berliner Messe: Sanctus
The Referend Bier Blendery

2019 vintage, different than the description below, this one is spontaneous beer fermented with chambourcin grape must and then conditioned on petite sirah and cabernet franc grape pomace and aged in grenache puncheons, the label also says honey is in the mix, maybe for bottle conditioning. this is elite, even among a lineup of nothing but elite beers from these guys, it stands out. grape beers are my muse right now, and in a long lineup of them this weekend, this was easily a standout, the grape solids do a lot for this, there even seems to be some grape grit left in the bottle at the bottom, but this is far from unrefined, its absolutely dialed. amazing color to it, high purple grape saturation, but still clear through most of it, if any light could pass, some shine, and a faintly pinkish belgian looking frothy two inches on top, puffy and ready to rise as soon as it hits the glass, so excited! the nose on this is epic, like real mature, woody, and dry lambic to me on the ferment, brett all day, clearly some indigenous funk contribution from the fruit, loads of dark grape character, cab franc seems to stand out, slate minerality and nicely piquant to counterpoint that, not overly acidic, has major natural wine vibes, black cherry, marionberry, huckleberry, vanilla, black pepper, green glass funk, im in love with it. i feel it before i taste it, so jovial and effervescent but also so soft, nothing vinegar-like or thinning about it, way more farmy and weird than it is sour, wonderful fermentation profile, truly! the grapes are so intense in this, so juicy, so real, so forward, very much half wine half beer to me, a little black currant astringency, and the green glass adds a lot too. uplifting feel but so mature too, so its fast and slow at the same time. amazing funkiness as it warms, ideal profile for my palate, these guys always impress in that regard. this is probably the best referend beer ive ever had, which is saying a whole lot. one of the most unsung operations in the country. this was a favorite from an absurdly heady lineup of similar brews, and not a beer ill ever forget. hope to get to try this again and maybe even some different vintages, looks like differing mixes of barrels and grape varietals. either way, this one is an absolute stunner!

 

3⅚yo (2017) bottle...

2019 Bottle courtesy of chesco.

This one pours a light pinkish color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like red wine and port, jammy grapes, berry, oak, and lemon candy funk.

This is really well done. It's less aggressively funky and acidic than some of The Referend's other beers that I've had. It's got a nice light and soft jamminess from the grapes. They almost express themselves as being a berry-type jammy, strawberry and blueberry maybe even? There's some nice dark tannic notes from the port barrels, as well as a touch of the oak itself. There's a light and spritzy lemon acidity, too.

This is light bodied, crisp and very clean, and exceedingly drinkable.

This is really quite awesome - one of the absolute best Referend beers I've had so far.

 

 

Pours a lovely hue akin to cranberry juice with a translucent clarity and a tight band around the shoulders. Nose is not great and a but off-putting. Notes of sulfur, berries and burnt rubber. Taste reveals tart berries, a hint of Brett and some vinegary notes. Mouthfeel is light in body with a lively carbonation and a slight astringency. Overall, a decent offering but a bit disjointed.

 

Moderate pour yields a 1/2 inch light pink head over a ruby body with some lacing. Real nice nose of dark fruit; cherry, berries, and the like. Taste of sour cherries, sour berries, and even slight strawberries. Very nice feel and overall, a great surprise for my first offering from these guys. Cheers!