Orrorin
Fair Isle Brewing

another unique and wonderful fair isle brew, this one in clear glass, courtesy of my legendary friends, was so stoked to crack this and it did not disappoint, although maybe not quite as delicate and refined as anticipated, its a lovely specimen anyway, piquette inspired, which i love, syrah and uniquely fir tips, way cool, an unlikely but brilliant combination of flavors, especially with the fair isle ferment, funky and wild in this instance. rusty orange to pinkish red in color, clearish but not bright, some sediment towards the bottom, and holding very little head despite maintaining nice carbonation throughout. piquant nose, second use fruit more tannic than sweet on the grapes, brett well set in, a peppery saison note, and the freshness and wintery purity of the fir element, an awesome choice for this, lightly wheaty but minimal as can be on the grain side, complex in a relaxed and cohesive way, really mouthwatering while only presenting as faintly tart. the flavor is so good, sharp yet also earthy from the syrah, prune and blackberry nuance there, a gin note from the fir, woodsy and crisping, sort of herbal even menthol cooling, very little sweetness, red raspberry and red currant late, more wild than sour, dry at the end, vinous but in a cool way, really dynamic and intriguing. it could feel slightly brighter, but thats being too critical of something very special. stoked to have been able to enjoy this one with the legends, an all too rare occasion. wait, i think i might owe one or both of them money for this...