The Stone Raft (2018)
The Referend Bier Blendery

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 release. Bottled on 1/18/2019 and released in May 2019. Poured into a Referend cylindrical glass. It pours a hazy, golden honey color with lots of effervescence. The head faded very quickly. It's fragrant nose includes lots of stone fruit: cherry, peach, plum, oak, and the unique funky smell of a spontaneously fermented ale. It opens highly tart and fruity. I can really taste the fresh peach; the other stone fruit is more in the background but becomes more evident as the glass warms. In particular, the cherry really opens up; ripe and fairly sweet. In fact, the longer the ale breathes in the glass the sweeter it becomes. This is in part due to the refermentation with cranberry honey. There are also notes of oak and whole grain wheat that remind me of a Triscuit cracker. This ale is crisp and dry with lively carbonation. The 7.1% ABV gives it nice substance without being overly strong. Overall, The Stone Raft is really exquisite. It's highly flavorful but quite delicate and the tastes evolve through the pour as the temperature changes. I never thought I'd enjoy a Belgian Fruit Lambic this much! Sip it casually outdoors with some good cheese.