R&D 2015 Golden Ale
New Glarus Brewing Company

From 1/17/26. Has aged great.

 

 

 

A - Opaque dark orange body, small head, white, that fades slowly, rocky, with a small bubble cloak of lacing.

S - The nose is full of Brett. Plastic and limestone up front, powerful and sharp, with bright acidic fruit notes, presumably from the hops, and a strong floral component.

T - Starts with lemon, a fruity acidity, that quickly washes into band-aid plastic note that lingers, limestone, hay and grass, a touch of bubble gum and spun sugar below, and a slow trail of sourness.

M - Brisk carbonation and a slight hint of chalk in the close. Moderate on the tongue, but with a bit of lingering weight.

O - Superb, funky beer. Super pretty. The Brett is dialed up at this point beyond where I'd prefer, but the hops, yeast and malts combine to offer a lot of interest.

Sparkling yellow-gold with a large airy white fuzzy foam leaving some spotty spongy lace, clinging in tall sporadic chunks at the edges. There is a ton of sediment though, to the point where you can't pour a quarter inch of beer from the bottle without turning it into a milkshake.

Smell has a very strong barnyard influence. Between hay, straw and horse blanket, it's quite funky, with some astringent grassy hops and hints of bread and citrus rind.

Taste continues the barnyard with horse blanket and musty rotting hay and grass bundles, spiked by slightly tart citrus, bitter grass and weeds. Brett dominates, with a touch of phenol.

Feel is crisp, tingly and moderate to light with a semi-dry finish.

Easily the worst R&D I've had, which obviously does not mean it's terrible, but it's like a far too funky Pilsener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed side-by-side with the 2009 version. The 2015 version is much brighter since the hops haven't had time to fade, similar level of funk, with just a touch of sweetness and an enormous billowing white fluffy head.