Blackberry Brut
Barrel + Beam

a very unique beer here, not adored by our tasting group, but i liked it a lot. its in a style we dont see enough of, and its fermentation forward while also being subtle, not overly fruit driven for having the blackberries in it, and super bubbly and effervescent, tiny bubbles too, very much a bottle conditioned feel and liveliness, the texture makes it. it also hides its alcohol freakishly well, would never have known this was so strong, and even when it comes up to temperature its not boozy. there is definitely a wine yeast vibe to this, a soft tannic profile and a mild astringency, slight funk from the brett too, but that part seems young to me, more rustic than anything, perhaps lightly medicinal, but its like this would age super well in the bottle as the brett keeps working on the fruit, but its nice now too in a softer sense, slightly farmy, but not real wild to me. the fruit is natural and a nice accent, and there isnt a ton of wood on this, it drinks quite fresh to me. the mouthfeel makes it, i love all the rushing fizz and the quick finish for what it is. impressive strength, cool use of yeasts, not perfectly refined, but a very cool and modern take on a style we do not see nearly enough of. real fun beer! huge thanks to my michigan homies for the generous share! id love to try this in a couple years with a more robust brett presence on it...

 

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 6/2019. Pours slightly hazy deep reddish orange/copper/amber color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, peach, plum, pear, apricot, pineapple, mango, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, clove, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, honey, wheat, white bread dough, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of banana, bubblegum, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of blackberries, fruity/spicy/light funky yeast, French oak, and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, peach, plum, pear, apricot, pineapple, mango, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, clove, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, honey, wheat, white bread dough, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of banana, bubblegum, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy bitterness; peppery yeast spiciness; and light Brett/berry tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, peach, plum, pear, apricot, pineapple, mango, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, clove, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, honey, wheat, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, banana, bubblegum, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, fruity/spicy/light funky yeast, French oak, and bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness, and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness, tart/tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 11.5% after the finish. Overall this is an awesome fruited Biere de Champagne. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, fruity/spicy/light funky yeast, French oak, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/tart/tangy/finish; awesome soft feel for the style. Awesome balance of juicy/jammy berries, Brett Claussenii, and Belgian yeast complexity; with a nice sized wheat/malt backbone, and great French oak presence. Light residual sweetness with lingering crisp dryness. Well attenuated, and not overly sweet/heavy for the ABV. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example as expected. Only my second from this style. Not overwhelming on any aspect.