Ekstatik Nostratik
Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro

definitely one of the more unique beers in recent memory for me. some seriously curious stuff here, and absolutely fantastic overall. apparently began as an open fermented octoberfest lager, then barrel aged for two years with rhubarb, raspberries, and strawberries, wow! its milky pink looking from the tap, definitely showing all of its fruit. an airy white head sits lazily on top. it smells like tart rhubarb and raspberry first, with a creamy sweet almost vanilla aspect to it, maybe fruit sweetness from the strawberries there, but its got a cool almost candied complexion, natural as all the fruit seems to be. i dont get the malt base i would expect in a typical marzen lager here at all, if that is in fact what this began as, perhaps time and barrel have broken it down, maybe all the fruit covers it up, either way, this is hardly malty, but it does have some body. i get the piquant rhubarb in the taste with the sweeter berries, a nice combination, but its the fermentation profile that impresses me most, insanely mature and funky, brett before souring bacteria, but a nice mix of both, musty and farmy and old worldy, very well developed, dry in the end for how fruity it tastes, and really interesting all the way through. fluffy feeling and fuller, but also really well carbonated. complex to say the least, oaky and unique. this really got me excited. i had not heard of them before this beer either, one heck of a first impression!