Incipient - Blackberry
Speciation Artisan Ales

Canned in 2019 (maybe 2018, but I think it was 2019)

Nice looking beer. Plenty of head on the pour, and a really nice orange / red color to the beer. Excellent clarity. Earthy funk on the nose, with what I assume but can't definitively identify as the blackberries adding an interesting dimension to the aroma.

I have a high tolerance for sour beers, but this one managed to hit me hard. The first few sips overwhelmed the palate with puckering sourness that overrode any other flavors trying to sneak through. That said, once my palate adjusted there's a really nice herbal funk to this, with the blackberries still clearly identifiable. While it doesn't make any sense, there's almost a very faint smokiness deep into the finish. Light and refreshing.

Overall, enjoying this one quite a bit. It has held up better than expected.

 

A - Pours a clear deep gold with a small fizzy white head.

S - Aroma is tart blackberries, lemon and green apple.

T - The taste is huge sweet and tart blackberries, green apple, lemon, lime and a nice funky lactic bite in the finished

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Crisp mouthfeel with a bone dry finish,

O - Really nice fruited sour,

 

 

2021 version. Pours a beautiful candy-apple red with almost no head. Funky smell with a little vinegar. Very tart but a welcome change from all the chunky fruited sours. After warming up a bit a taste of oak and lemon. An outstanding sour.

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 10/2019. Pours very hazy deep reddish/orange/pink, light purple color with a 1-2 finger fairly foamy and fluffy light pink head with poor retention, that reduces to nothing pretty quickly. No glass lacing, and a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, white bread, lighter peppercorn/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of blackberries, fruity/funky/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge sour/tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, white bread, lighter peppercorn/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, green apple, red grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, wheat, white bread, lighter peppercorn/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, fruity/funky/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/sourness and tangy fruit balance; with mild puckering sourness on the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from sour/tart/tangy and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and light body; with a very smooth and grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, fruity/funky/acidic yeast and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink despite the moderately acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; no overly lactic. Fantastic balance of juicy/jammy berries and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with a solid wheat/oat/malt backbone against acidity. Zero residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example as expected of the brewery.

 

Golden sour yes, blackberries yes. Decent but not delicious. Drinkability OK. Blackberry taste a bit faded. Not the best I have had from them. Bottle from Action Liquour.

 

 

Stupid good beer. Very juicy, fruity blackberry taste balanced with a nice level of tart that lets you know it's there but doesn't make your face suck completely in. Jammy and delicious!