The Laurentian Series: Lake Superior W/ Huckleberries
Speciation Artisan Ales

L - 1-finger off-white, slightly pinkish head stubbornly sticks around. Body is a menacing, near-opaque maroon.

S - tart mixed berries, vinegar, hay, oak, lemon.

T - rather tart and moderately acidic berry. This is my first experience with huckleberry. Somewhere between a sweet raspberry and a puckering blackberry, with apple and lime. Vinegar, oak, hay, brown sugar. No bitterness. Low sweetness. Low booziness.

F - medium-light body with aggressive carb.

O - unique and wonderful.

 

 

 

Pours a mostly clear dark pink with two fingers of white head that settles into a thin cap that lingers.
Smells of berries, oak, a touch of funk.
The taste follows, slightly sweet berry notes followed by tart blueberry skins. Great oaky barrel presence with a touch of funk. Excellent.
Light to medium body with good carb levels. Crisp dry finish.
Overall a well balanced beer.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2019 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy ruby reddish/pinkish/orange color with a 1 finger dense and fluffy light pink head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy huckleberry, blueberry, raspberry, gooseberry, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of brown sugar, toast, oaken vanilla, peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, huckleberry, oak barrels, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste huge juicy/tart/tangy huckleberry, blueberry, raspberry, gooseberry, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of brown sugar, toast, oaken vanilla, peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy berries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, brown sugar, toast, oaken vanilla, light pepper/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, huckleberry, oak barrels, and bready malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tartness and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness, tangy fruit, and yeast/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/acidic/tangy, fairly crisp, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is an amazing fruited spontaneous Belgian Lambic style! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, huckleberry, oak barrels, and bready malt flavors; extremely smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink, with the modestly acidic/tangy/drying finish; not overly lactic. Perfectly balanced jammy berries, Brett/Bacteria complexity, oak presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. A highly amazing offering, and spot on style example as expected. Well worth the price.

What more do you need in a sour beer? Pours a deep pinkish purple, beautiful held up to the light. Funky berry aromas, rich oak and pine, not overpowering on the nose. Can’t believe how this feels - perfect effervescence, without feeling thin. Warm, funky, sourdough flavors cut perfectly by the huckleberry - who knew what huckleberry tastes like? More going on than a blueberry or blackberry, in an almost savory way. Really feel like this is an amazing vehicle to showcase an uncommon fruit. Sour without an overpowering pucker. So balanced and intricate. Hard to find anybody doing it it better than Speciation, just wait until the rest of the country finds out.