Past Present
Dwinell Country Ales

wild ale done with varietal, my bottle says merlot but it looks like they have done this in the past with cabernet sauvignon too, which i would love to try. this was really nice, smelling a bit more sour than it really is but still having that combination of wild bacterial acidity and grippy tannic character from the grapes and oak, perhaps not quite at the oh my god level in terms of overall refinement, but this is the kind of beer i seek out from these guys, and its delicious, i think quite specific to merlot which is cool, fun one. reddish hue to it, some haze, and when i pour it assertively a nice white head kicks up. not quite the deeply ruby hued beer i expected it to be, but some color no doubt. i smell some acetic intensity, an almost flanders red type vinegar thing, but some bretty weirdness too, red wine and wood, more finished wine than fresh fruit to me, not sure how this was made, but its got that beer and wine together thing going on rather than fruited beer, at least to me. hints of red raspberry and cranberry in nose and taste with the obvious red wine, subtle walnut and vanilla in there with the oak, and some soil type earthiness. not a lot of grain in the taste, but it feels wheaty and fuller, nice with the higher sourness. cherry and currant notes as it warms, some astringency coming in making it a little harsh, and the bubbles dissipate out so this slows down a lot at the end. mature and interesting, although not their most compelling ferment for my money, neat showcase of the merlot, a grape that for whatever reason we seem to see less of in beer. i hope to try any other versions of this, i have a lot of love and respect for what these guys are doing right now, and this was neat and informative to sip on.