Free Pomologists
Speciation Artisan Ales

really sick getting to drink beer from these guys, its rare for me and i really dig what they do, this was generously shared by a friend, amazing packaging on this, looks so sexy in the little bottle, righteous art, unfortunately, the beer this time is a little rugged for me, not as dialed in as anticipated, even in a style where some rustic rawness is absolutely permissible, this felt a little sloppy. a collaboration with ology, who i dont know much about. a funky tart wheat beer with plums and lemon balm, an exotic combination i dont think ive seen before, and those elements play together well, but the ferment of this isnt quite as i expected it to be, and comes across almost incomplete or amateurish to me, but maybe thats being too critical. a little thicker looking, rusty orange toned maybe faintly pink from the plums but less colored than i thought it would be by them, and quite a bit more dense, less bubbly and airy than i like in these styles. the aroma is cool, some citrus and funk to the nose, white wine and white wine vinegar too, definitely a bacterial element in play, subtle white pepper and coriander giving it a belgian flare, and also some soapy, sweaty, and cheesy aspects that do not flatter the plum and herb thing going on, disruptive even. i do get some sweet and tart fresh plum and a nice tea-like and floral aromatic from the lemon balm. the flavor is plum forward in an overripe even breaking down kind of way, a product of the ferment for sure, the lemon balm is way back, fresh though, and i like what it does in here. lots of body for its low abv, could be some raw wheat in here, super starchy and it heavies it unnecessarily i reckon. neat complexity as it warms, becoming rather vinous, but this should overall be a little better than it is, and it presents in the bottle as something higher end than it really is, which is frustrating. still good, clever even, but the level of refinement is poor and i had much higher hopes for it after being a big fan of what ive had from them before this...

Thanks to Joplamp for this one. 12oz bottle (#10/20) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a cloudy medium orange color with a thin cap of white head that immediately dissipated and left no lacing.

The aroma was fruit forward with mild tartness.

Pretty similar on the tongue; soft fruit (plums) and mild tartness.

The body was light and smooth, but was a tad low on carbonation.

Drinkability was good, no issues.

Overall, a nice and enjoyable brew.