Floodland Brewing

Was there extra of all three beers we're getting this round? Very cool.

 

The 3-pack included Drive Out the Spirits, Protection Spells, and Blackberry Field Blend.

 

Floodland beers are significantly less sour than de Garde. There is still a nice acidity and tartness to them, but they don't even come close to wrecking your palate like a lot of sour beers that are currently on the market.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I wouldn't call myself an expert, since I'm not a brewer myself (at least not of these very involved mixed fermentation saisons and wild ales), but I like to think I've appreciated enough delicious beers to be dangerous in my commentary.

First off, holy crap, I had totally forgotten about Meditation of Light—definitely excited for that one. Nectarines! Second, I can't speak directly to Drive Out the Spirits, as I haven't opened one of mine yet (Adam recommended waiting till Spring-ish to let that beer continue maturing a bit).

All of that said, I'm in agreement with @distantmantra—these Floodland beers, of which I've had Protection Spells and Field Blend: Cherry are so much more restrained, acidity-wise than many de Garde beers I've had. I think part of that stems from the fact that Floodland isn't really brewing wild ales, certainly not in the same manner as dG; these are more akin to mixed fermentation saisons, in taste, with the addition of fruit. From what Adam has described in emails, most of the beers so far are a blend of acid beer w/ a saison, helping create, imo, a more balanced, less jarring sour/tart taste. It also allows the fruit to shine more, as you're not overpowered by a mouth puckering sourness.

Best recent example for me would be having dG's The Kriek one night and then Field Blend: Cherry a couple nights later. Cherries were certainly present in both, but Field Blend was decidedly more nuanced, and I would personally use the term tart, rather than sour to describe it. The Kriek was sour, though a great example of dG continuing to dial back the acidity of many offerings. I'm happy to see that multi-year trend continuing, aside from some occasional misses (see The Rougess for what was for me a nearly undrinkable sour #InstaStomachAche).

If I were to compare the two Floodland beers I've had so far to another brewery's offerings that I think are most similar in taste, I'd go with Hill Farmstead's fruited Flora variants, which is very exciting, since those are bottles I've always had to trade for.

 

Much more restrained and subtle. Fruit more akin to second use jester king fruit. Low titratable acidity (at least what I've had so far anyway) compared to most AWA. No intense punch you in the mouth flavors. Pay attention though and you get many layers of depth. Sort of like the difference between a willamette and sonoma pinot.

 

Wut new kinda beer is this?! ISO!

 

Drive Out The Spirits is one of the better blueberry beers I've had. Blueberries tend to have weird mineral issues that don't impart the best flavors (see Almanac and Cascade's attempts with blueberry). Fortunately I didn't get any of that with DOTS.

I've so far had Drive Out the Spirits, Protection Spells and Yet To Be Named Raspberry Beer, and Protection Spells is the best of the three hands down. Still need to try Field Blend Cherry, maybe tomorrow night.

 

See/meet you there?

 

Thanks to all you guys for an intelligent discussion of fruited sours. I haven't had anything from Floodland yet, and not too much from deGarde, so I can't comment on those beers. But, as you guys seem pretty knowledgeable, try adding the fruited sours from Cascade and Urban Family into the discussion. I've had several of those. How are they similar or different to the beers you've been discussing.

 

Cascade lacks any real complexity and they're normally way too sour.

 

(I'll have to come clean—I've never had an Urban Family sour... only a couple IPAs, and not even the recent ones, that are supposedly markedly better than past iterations. Surprising, perhaps, but it was and remains a purposeful decision due to the fact that I already spend waaay too much effing $$$ on beer.)

 

Yeah which is 2 of the originals, and one of the new ones (Blackberry Field Blend), correct?

 

Correct.

 

go hang out at the taproom once and you'll catch right up. they're sours are similar to E9, and their IPAs range from good to great. far cry from the old spot on the ballard strip that was supplemented with shelton brothers distro. you can spend a lot of time drinking through their tap list these days.

 

Missed out on the 3pack release only because I can’t make the pickup date, but going to Masonry Farmhouse Fest so I can’t complain if anyone wants to say hi I’ll be at VIP entry and way too excited about it. Lineup is so great but probably aiming for Floodland first.

 

For anyone who was bummed they missed the public 3 pack:

1. There will be more public bottles, probably August. Should include a Pinot Noir beer among other things that I'm psyched on.

2. Hasn't been announced but there will be a Floodland even during SBW at The Masonry Fremont, the evening of Monday 5/14. Will be pouring draught of Drive Out the Spirits, Protection Spells, Grails and Waysigns, Blackberry Field Blend, and more stuff TBD. Also there will be a TBD keg at Brouwer's for their sour fest, saison bottles at Chuck's CD during SBW for an event, and future kegs earmarked for Bottleworks and The Stumbling Monk, among others.

The idea of things being "limited" or playing up how fast they sold out are rotten pieces of psychic meat. Don't eat it. There's a lot of good beer in Seattle. You can sit at Machine House and drink pints of amazing cask beer all night 5 days a week, we're so fucking lucky.