Help me "get" Brett

Aged Orval is a beer where you'll get some of the most Brett character of any beer out there. Brett will usually give you a dry, musty character to the beer. It really does often remind me of a barn.

 

A good way to get Brett is to grab 2-4 of Brett beers. I can think of these:
RR Sanctification - the only one good fresh.
NB/Lost Abbey Brett Beer-not even sure this is worth it
Orval - hated it, but to each his own
Brux - Could use some age to let the Brett come out
Rayon Vert - fantastic no matter what
Lost Abbey/NB Mo Betta Bretta
Ok so Brett needs time to work. Fresh Brett is just going to taste like a light grassy, herbal, slightly tart lemon thing. After a while, it will give more tartness. Drink one now, then age the others to see how much you actually like Brett. I learned after this that Im not the biggest fan of Brett, but more of Lacto and Sacharomyces and the other souring bugs.

 

To me, Rayon Vert tastes like a solid west-coast pale ale with some horse manure in there... awesome!

 

My tasting notes say "band aid" flavor...I love this beer

 

Bingo. Brux had an instant band-aid character to it for me. Like a "just peeled the paper backing" band-aid character. But...it worked.

 

I don't think you can "get" it. In beer, it shows something between mustiness and yeast. Similar to barrel aging, intense hops or roasted malts, if it doesn't appeal to you, don't drink it.

It is completely different in wine. It shows up in mostly Bordeaux and Rhone wines these days, but Burgundy had problems in the past. The Brett would develop in dirty barrels and when wine is racked, it passes through the entire batch before bottling. Then, heat just makes it bloom worse. The problem there is the Brett is hard to reconcile with the fruit in the wine. It shows an off putting band aid character. Beer doesn't have the same issue.

 

Although many truly world-class wines have a little bit of brett -- it just doesn't get talked about. I just had a spectacular 1991 Stag's Leap Cab that had just a touch of brett that made it even better. The winemaker I enjoyed it with called it his favorite element of the wine.

 

That's cool- and it illustrates the point that there is no need to try to "get" it. I like it in beer, but hate it in wine, but to another palate, it is a good feature.

 

Agreed. Although I would add that it's all about integration, ultimately. I have had beers where Brett basically ruined them -- it just didn't fit at all. When well-used, it can make good beverages great.

 

I've had wines that had a significant brett presence. I like them but I like brett. When it's drilled into your head by "connoisseurs" that brett is a fault then you will begin to hate it. I've known brewers that are the same way because brett can be considered a fault in the beer.

 

Brett is extremely unpredictable. Depending on so many factors it can produce loads of different flavors/results/non-results. You could ferment a beer entirely with Brett and get almost no "funk". You can also let Brett sit on an already fermented beer and it will become something that tastes more like a cherry pie covered in a barnyard with horse funk.

Orval generally has a dried out, slight funk feel from the Brett because Brettanomyces consumes basically all sugars/starches/degraded oak/whatever Saccharomyces cannot. Orval is usually not overly "funky" (to me). I find that Rayon Vert has a similar Brett use, some grassy herbal lemon dryness but nothing too funky.

I am not much of a wine person, well not at all, but Brett is a deal breaker because I don't think wine drinkers like anything sour/funky going on. It would be spoiled to them. Sour beers are hugely popular and Brettanomyces can lend some awesome flavors to people who explore that realm. I really think that Gueuze Tilquin probably exhibits "funk" the best. The sips I remember taking from that were more like a barnyard full of manure, straw and dirty horses (no pun). It was almost like a really ripe, soft cheese. Try out any traditional Belgian lambics you can. A lot of the flavor profile can come from Brett. I thought Brux had a nice Brett flavor but maybe it varies.

Basically Brett can do anything from making a beer taste like regular yeast, dry it out or turn it into a musty barn landscape (oh so tasty). I find it extremely enjoyable in most cases. For many brewers Brett is still very unpredictable and not exactly the most researched area. If you don't enjoy it, don't get caught up in it all. It probably just means the beer will be more expensive. If you do have a place for barnyard funk in your life, be prepared to explore a whole new world of beer.

If you have a science background/are really curious: http://www.brettanomycesproject.com/

 

For one thing, the beers you have listed use Brett differently. Brux is fully fermented with a strain of Brettanomyces (B. Bruxellencis, hence the name), whereas Orval and it's clones (Rayon Vert, New Glarus Golden Ale, etc.) are brewed with Belgian ale yeast (Saccharomyces), then reconditioned in the bottle with Brett, which gives a slight earthy character, tight carbonation, and has a drying effect on the beer.

It's also worthwhile to note that Brettanomyces is a classication of yeast, not a specific strain. Compare this to Saccharomyces, which nearly all brewer's yeast falls into: English ale yeast strains will taste dramatically different from French saison strains. Similarly, different Brettanomyces strains will yield different results. B. Lambicus (earthy, funky - critical component in lambic fermentation) tastes dramatically different from B. Clausenii (floral, tropical/stone fruits -- Mo Betta Bretta and NB Brett Beer use this).

Also, please remember: BRETT DOESN'T MAKE BEER SOUR, BACTERIA DOES!

 

this all makes sense to me know. i didnt like this beer and couldnt put my finger on why. i guess i dont seem to like the taste of band aids as much as others.

 

BRUX is fermented with a French Saison yeast (Saccharomyces) and then reconditioned in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, so it falls into the same camp as Ryon and Orval stylistically. The Brett will develop more pronounced flavors as the beer ages, it has already come a long way from the initial bottling date.

-B

 

amen brother well said.

 

Well help me understand why after you liking the bret in Orval you feel the need to get it? You got it, if you like Orval your in my club. Nothing else comes close, sorry even brux is not even close to the same league as Orval.

 

For me the Brett in Orval tastes like a strawberry when it starts to spoil

 

Saison Brett from Boulevard.
You'll get it....

or
http://beeradvocate.com/community/members/bdubleedublerun.353998/

Bretts a good dude.

Cheers!

 

Jeez, shows how much I know.