Blueberry Master Blend
Matchless Brewing

a whole series of fruits they are doing in this master blend range now, not sure if the base is the same for each or not, but it was a treat getting into this one with my homie on my visit out to washington over the weekend. its a brilliant beer from a brilliant brewery, one of my current favorites and their stock seems to rise every time i have a new one from them. this is a flanders red base, which is not necessarily the lambic foundation i was hoping for when we picked this up, but it makes perfect sense with the fruit, especially when you drink it. crimson in the glass without much head lingering after the initial pour, but a nice jewel tone to it, obviously stained by the fruit. the nose and taste are almost identical, sharply tannic and piquant right away, but balanced by jammy or stewed fruit sweetness, mellowing and enriching oak, and a little bit of residual grain character keeping this grounded and giving it depth and contrast. the acidity is high but its not over the top, not caustic or anything, and i think it kind of serves to highlight the natural blueberry, the way a squeeze of lemon might in a tart or something. the fruit shines, especially in this oaken and red wine vinous sort of base brew, a nice combination, but it makes me wonder how peaches or something else might fare in here. this seems well suited to things like apples, grapes, and dark berries, maybe less so for orchard fruit, melons, and citrus, although i am not sure what all they have done so far, and again, i do not know if all the base beers are the same as this one. as always with this type of thing for me, it could use more assertive carbonation, but i dont mind the slow pace of it either. really nicely done and quite distinctive, a lot of fruit, but a very multidimensional brew. these guys slay!

2018 bottle, so about two years old.

Not a gusher but a slow-oozer. Baseline body is a ruddy brownish, but the berries stain it a mild mauve, with a similarly stained small head that recedes, but slowly, and not completely, leaving behind a fur-ring and lazy whisps of congregated small bubbles.

Nose starts a bit tart, but not overwhelming, as the berry brings immediate balance. Wine barrels give a bit of oak, and help augment the berry presence, yielding a sweet/tart profile similar to a lighter/fruitier red wine, like a Pinot Noir or a Tempranillo (I think? I don't know wines THAT well any more).

Flavour has a similar arc: suggestion of tart up front, but quickly balanced with jammy fruits and oaky smoothing. Some light woodiness and spice from the barrel, and the underlying brown/red offers a bit of spice and an interesting intersection of baking spice and cherry. Finish brings it all together and finally completes the tart promise carried from the front with a raspy acidic swallow (but not like tongue-sandpaper overwhelming, just, 'yes, this is a sour.')

Body and carbonation are both moderately unobtrusive and support the other characteristics well.
While most of the berry profile can be recognized as blueberry with some guidance, it also has some of the tartness and jamminess of raspberries, as well as that little ode to cherry mentioned above as well. As I work through the glass, however, I find my aftertaste/breath if I've left the glass alone for a minute or two to take on a distinctly blueberry character which I dig.
Overall I think it lives up to its name. This is masterfully blended, and complexly enjoyable with elements of everything promised coming through at various points. Makes me curious about the other offerings in the Master Blend series!