Ferme Rouge
Little Beast Brewing

neat to score this on tap, especially in alaska, rarely see their draft around anywhere i live or travel to, so this was a treat. seems like its been on tap awhile, or like my pour was in a long line awhile, a certain almost lifeless tiredness to it i was not expecting, but cool flavors for sure. a little more sour than a lot of the beers ive had from these guys in the mixed fermentation space, more bacterial pucker than funk by a mile which obviously makes sense in a flanders red. deep crimson color to this, mahogany level, with almost no head at all and a light cloudiness or dullness to it. the nose is cool, woody, with raspberry and vinegar aspects, lemon and vanilla, dried cherry and cranberry too, maybe faint cola as well, some generic malt sweetness and toasted layers too underneath, just a little brett character in the mix. malty up front, brown sugar and some red wine character in the middle, old wood all through it, sharp acidity, even acetic a little bit, but it makes my mouth water for more and it works to cut the perceivable malt sweetness down. port and raisin and cherry fruitiness, light musty funk and slight oxidation, dark bread and mild spice to close. near still and not something i can drink a ton of at this acidity, but a flavorful and rather clever take on the style i reckon. i enjoy little beast a lot, i wouldnt rank this among my favorites of all time, but cool to get to have it on tap. more bubbles would help this out a lot. definitely want to try a bottle too, some bottle conditioning could do just the trick...

Deep hazy reddish brown with a bubbly tan head. Aroma is black cherry, cola, oak. The taste is very much like cherry cola with a slightly nutty malt background. Initially the taste is sweet, but a nice nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness lingers for a while. Slight taste of rum as well. Overall this is a very unique beer that has aged for about two years giving a slightly liquor like flavor from the sugar in the malts.

Nice

1 year old corked bottle poured into a pilsner glass. Watch out, this one will explode a bit upon opening so I suggest opening outdoors or having glasses ready!

Very hazy opaque bronze and copper color, VERY carbonated with a massive head that settles into very strong tan lacing and soap.
On the nose I get orange, tangerine, apricot, tree bark, chestnut, and some untraceable malty funk.

The taste glides from melon to raspberry, applewood, roasted oak, and a sweet cinnamon twist finish all at a reasonable and consistent pace; moreover, the mouthfeel finishes nice and crisp, clean and dry but not overly tart. Absolutley awesome silky body too.

This is a fantastic sour barrel aged red ale, and I sincerely wish it was easier to find or more affordable because it makes an occasion in its own right.

 

 

 

 

Poured from 375mL corked & caged bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: rich amber hue with a dash of haze and a massive effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy ivory foam, constantly renewed by the effervescence. I really dig it.

Smell: lightly tart with some biscuity malt character and a bit of a phenolic note. Not bad, but not my favorite elements in a Flanders red.

Taste: very biscuity, bready malt with just a light sourness. There are some nice toffee notes here, too, but overall it's a bit too biscuity for my taste.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a huge carbonation (got a healthy POP when I uncorked it) and a nice creaminess.

Overall: this beer seems well-enough crafted, but the very biscuity malt character just runs counter to my palate. It's just not my jam.

 

 

Bottle:
A ruddy reddish offering with a big rusty foamy head. The lacing is a curtain, even if the head seems a bit aggressive.

Nose is a mellow amber beer that sneaks beneath a berry/vinegar sour that is fairly muted by a wood (barrel) influence.

Taste oddly seems barrel-forward, which is nice, but seems to dull the expected sour notes, which isn’t as nice. The amber malt comes through, with a wooden earthiness, and a muted tartness with a very clean and light vinegar note seem to construct this beer.

Decently carbonated, the bubbly notes add bite but the underlying been seems missing the “tart” listed on the label. Nothing off on this beer, but it just seems dulled for an undetermined reason. Based on other ratings (without reviews to determine nuanced differences), I’m not sure what I’m missing.