Magic Trait - Blackberries, Black Currants & Blueberries
Speciation Artisan Ales

Bottled in 2019. Really nice looking beer. Bright, translucent red with plenty of fizzy reddish tinged head that receded to a spotty cap. Aroma is very fruit forward. Notes of jam, but with enough oak funk to steer it well short of cloying.

The taste is similar. There are clear fruit flavors, but the come across as real fruit, not syrupy or artificial at all. Nice wood notes and lightly sour funk rounds out the flavor profile nicely. Light and lively. Very tasty.

i long ago had a version of this without the blueberry, so it was neat to have this one and compare it to my memory. this is 2019 vintage, and actually, the blueberry is the lead fruit to my senses, both in aroma and flavor, concentrated and even dried, skinny and tangy, awesome with the sweeter blackberry note in here and the rich red wine qualities it has. deep crimson color to this from the little bottle, some haze and some sediment as we pour it down, airy and thin headed, but the color is lovely. it smells tannic and sharp, very acidic, but there is some emerging funk here too, more as it warms, and a ton of wood and fruit, vinous all the way, a port wine element too, then blueberry in front of the others, a medicinal aspect from the currants, light vanilla and earthiness from the barrels, and very little malt character to me. the blueberries make it summery in the flavor, and the wildness of this is super compatible with it. i am thankful for the sweetness of the blackberries, this would be exceedingly sour without that component for balance. there is a sort of exploded marker intensity to this, but when my palate gets used to it i taste a ton of nuance, all three fruits in their purest forms, unique elements in the blend stand out, and a very solid and mature base beer or two as the foundation. a couple of the bottles we opened were a little more sour than i generally prefer, maybe not meant to age so long, but i was over the moon impressed with the speciation beers we shared last weekend and am thankful to have friends willing to open them with me! these guys are thoroughly killing it.

 

 

 

 

A - Pours a dark reddish/purple with a two finger pink fizzy head. The head disappears fast leaving a thin ring. Very light soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is blackberry, black currant, blueberry, oak and red wine.

T - The taste is blackberry, black currants, blueberries, lemon, green apple, red wine vinegar, oak and some light lactic funk.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - This is an awesome fruited sour. Big jammy flavors with a nice light funkiness. So good.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 9/2018. Pours moderate hazy dark ruby red/purple/brown color with a small fairly dense pink head with poor retention, that reduces to a minimal spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing, and some clinging bubbles on the glass. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy blackberry, blueberry, black currant, fruit skin/seed, lemon, plum, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with light notes of pepper, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, berries/currants, wine/oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy blackberry, blueberry, black currant, fruit skin/seed, lemon, plum, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with light notes of pepper, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit/wine tang; and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy berries, currants, fruit skin/seed, lemon, plum, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, brown sugar, toasted bread, light pepper/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, berries/currants, wine/oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/sourness and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and fairly acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.6%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, berries/currants, wine/oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish, not overly lactic. Amazing balance of juicy/jammy fruits, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; great wine/oak barrel presence and malts against acidity. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected. Tons of fruit presence. Worth the price tag($23).