Stave series #20: Sutton Cellars stave
Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

a red wine barrel aged tripel, less sweet and over the top belgian yeasty than a lot of the import tripels are, which i think allows the fruitiness of the wine to be tasted really prominently in here. i think its a great idea, and i think this style lends itself well to this kind of barrel ageing. its bright in the glass, frothy and active, with a slightly funky nose, floral and spicy belgian yeast, currants and cherries and jammy qualities to the wine, which is not subtle in here, and then the wood, which with the grain body here is a little sweet and weighty, it tastes mature and professional and really pretty dialed in. there is a nicely textured cereal malt flavor all through it which i think is great with the soft oak, i get honey and vanilla nuance with it. the wine has some acidity here which cuts down on the sweetness for me, its a little sharp, but its not too much, really good wine level here, more would start to detract from the base beer. i liked all the beers we had in here, and its cool they are so ambitious with the recipes while also being organic. this was a treat!