Slow Mutant
Speciation Artisan Ales

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 8/2019. Pours slightly pale golden straw color with no head retention or lacing. Some clinging bubbles on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy red/green apples, mango, pineapple, fruit skin/peels, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, melon, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of wheat, cracker, white bread, pepper, leather/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of apple cider, mango, pineapple, fruity/funky/acidic/light spicy yeast, oak barrels, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy red/green apples, mango, pineapple, fruit skin/peels, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, melon, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of wheat, cracker, white bread, pepper, leather/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy red/green apples, mango, pineapple, fruit skin/peels, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, melon, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, and grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, pepper, leather/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of apple cider, mango, pineapple, fruity/funky/acidic/light spicy yeast, oak barrels, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/sour/sour/tangy balance; with minimal puckering sourness after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering sour/tart/tangy/spiciness. Light carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth and moderately grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is a fantastic Graff styled sour/wild ale. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of apple cider, mango, pineapple, fruity/funky/acidic/light spicy yeast, oak barrels, and light-moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/clean/refresing to drink, with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Not overly lactic/tannic. Fantastic balance of juicy/vibrant apples, mango, pineapple, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with nice barrel presence and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy/tannic dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example as expected of the brewery. Perfectly balanced between wild ale and apple cider flavors.

A - Pours a lightly hazed gold with a one finger fuzzy white head. The head fades quickly leaving no lacing.

S - Aroma is pineapple, green apple and white wine.

T - The taste is mango, pineapple, green apple, white wine, oak and some light funkiness.

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

O - Very tasty hybrid beer. The cider and wine barrels add a nice depth of flavor. Very easy drinking at 8% ABV.

 

Delicious - extremely tart, quenching, apple/white wine/mango/citrus golden sour, hides the alcohol, really delicious. Great barrel flavor and character. Interesting style, would like to see more.