Nectarine Sipper
Barrique Brewing & Blending

 

Making beer the way god intended... in Tennessee. All teasing aside, Barrique brewers take farmhouse brewing seriously, living off of the land of grain, watermelon and tangerines for a somewhat spontaneously fermented ale of sour proportions.

Honey gold and shedding a slight shoulder of froth, the vinous ale immediately starts to tingle the nose with weathered citrus, white wine and dry cider along with the light floral scents of the array of watermelon and tangerines that surprisingly stand tall against its funk and fauna. Scantly sweet, the early palate shares flavors of dry wafer, sourdough and a hint of taffy in a mostly dry upstart.

As the sour ale splashes against the middle palate, its acidity explodes in a bold display of lime, lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, pear, orange and gooseberry, each seemingly dried, soured and lightly spicy from the natural fermentation character before the taste wraps in a light, nectar-filled juiciness of melon and tangerine that plays out more in a retro-olfactory action late in taste. Hints of hay-like hops add balance and spice with a followup of white wine, dry cider and a drift of damp burlap and dry leather.

Light, crisp and highly refreshing, the brewery suggests that the beer is a sipper. However, with its thirst quenching properties, its crispness and its clean sourness this ale didn't last very long in the glass. Its a brisk session of spice and sour with a playfully tannic finish, the ale carries only brief echoes of sourdough and attic-like musk in nearly lambic-like fashion.