Old Money
Sovereign Brewing

 

brett ipa, and a darn good one, on tap as sister brewery standard, i love this style, especially when the brett is this well done, this mature, and his compatible with the hops, really impressive stuff from an operation that somehow continues to fly under the radar. pretty clear for being bretty and oak fermented, golden in color, not super high shine, very lively though, tall and airy head with great retention, looks belgian and excited, even in low light. all mosaic hops in this, but they come across more unique and complex in the nose than normal, owing to the funky brett, less pineapple more white grape, less catty more juicy, some melon and kiwi fruit too, minerals everywhere, lots from the oak too, light vanilla, citrus, and tannins. the brett is horsey and old, farmy and rustic, but the beer overall is insanely well refined, really dialed in as far as quality goes, awesome complexity and dryness, some brux and lambicus character alike to me, but dramatic in nose than taste though. the hops make this seem fresh even though the beer has obvious woody maturity to it, some herbal freshness from them too, meyer lemon, tangerine, and green apple pop. highly effervescent, feels like champage in the glass, simple on the grain side, incredibly drinkable too. darn near as good as it gets for the style, these guys are killing it, and with so little fanfare...

Served in 12oz stemware. Poured a very hazy medium yellow color with an inch of white head that had OK retention and light lacing.

The aroma started off with a nice dose of Brett that wasn't overpowering. Under that was a solid, but soft grain base, and some floral hops on top.

Pretty similar on the tongue, Brett dominant (yet softer than I would have preferred) and a nicely balanced base beer.

The body was medium-light, smooth, and had a semi-dry finish.

Drinkability was good, an enjoyable quaff.

Overall, a pretty nice brew. I would have liked a bolder Brett presence, but it's still worth trying if you see it.