Nefelibata
E9 Brewing Co.

The batch #3 bottle I bought today says 6.7% ABV. It is very red with a light shining through it; very little head. Oddly, the smell is a little sweet and chocolatey - but that's okay. Taste is a little sweet and oaky with some of that chocolatey note. I'm guessing that I got a bottle that is several years old, and it would have been better when fresher. Feel is smooth and flat – no carbonation. Overall, this is a good beer but I think it is suffering from being too old on the shelf.

 

another brewery i am glad to see here in denver, even if its temporary, bottles and draft of some of their cool stuff in town right now, this was on tap at freshcraft yesterday, their take on a traditional flanders red, and i like it for a lot of reasons. its mature in a different kind of way for the style, less sour, less of that classic flanders red wine vinegar acetic sourness, less overall pucker, and less residual sweetness in the grain, it presents itself as lighter and easier drinking than i am used to from the classics, but i appreciate that here. there is a nice kilned sort of malt nuttiness to this, in addition to the usual dried red fruits and light cocoa thing i look for in these. the sourness is there but its locked up with some oaky funk too, red wine character without the acid, and a bretty weirdness that i like a lot, even though its less complex than the style generally is i think. notes of currant, raisin, and port wine, minerals and fall spices for a flash, and a pretty dry finish as these go. a drinkable and well made version of this style, nice and lively from the tap. these guys do such a good job with this sort of thing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batch 2, enjoyed April 2017

Nice balanced Flanders overall. Not too sweet or too sour and good carbonation. Just not very complex compared to the best in the style such as Cuvee des Jacobins and not great value for the price. $9.99 per bottle.

Served On-Tap

A — Pours a nice ruby hued amber, somewhat dark, but there are ruby red edges. A puffy, oak colored head forms and leaves behind little bits of lace.

S — Smell is nicely fruit forward, fresh cherries, pie cherries, little bit of oak, a minimal amount of funk or sweetness.

T — Taste is very focused and driven by the cherries and oak, very nice layers between vanilla, cinnamon, oak, char, pie cherries, raisins, plum flesh. Nice.

M — Medium bodied, a long and lingering finish is prevalent.

O — Very nicely done by E9, a really nice take on the Flanders style, could use a bit more flavor development, but really nice nonetheless.