Patina Dark #1
Brewery Bhavana

This is what I get for going in to a beer blind - I'd expected a mixed fermentation saison, or even just a traditional saison, and then I pour it... Patina Dark looks like a red wine, though deeper and with a less pronounced nose. The cabernet grapes are quite pronounced in the taste - rich and acetic, complemented tremendously well by the dark berry notes (mostly manifesting as a lightly sweet, quite tart taste). I was a bit shocked by how sour it is - this is no joke, there's nothing subtle about it. It's thick, rich, quite sour, a bit tart and dry - it's incredibly well-defined and very memorable.

Damn. Not at all what I'd expected, but a very welcome surprise. This beer is fantastic.

 

Appearance: Pours mahogany colored with a two finger ecru head that fades rather quickly to a collar while leaving plenty of splotchy lacing behind

Smell: Tart fruit tones, with blackberry and blueberry most distinct; funky, with red wine and oak tones adding depth

Taste: Acetic fruit flavors, at the outset, with the blackberry and blueberry intermingling; the cherry is more subtle but is also in the mix; through the middle, the funk and bold Cabernet flavors start to envelop with the oak from the staves bringing some dryness to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; puckery

Overall: Quite the impressive fruited sour, with layers of flavor