Tried Barrel Culture ?

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/49659/
?

 

Why don't you start by giving us your thoughts?

 

The ones I’ve had are way too acidic for my tastes and not very complex, but they are improving.

 

Mixed bag for me. Some I have loved, some have been decent.

It would be great if they focused on a few core sours and dialed them in, then expanded to other experimental sours, but they are a young brewery so its how they roll, no hate.

I'd like to see a little less tartness in most of their beers, and maybe even a little less fruit so I can taste the barrel as well, as most of their beers you get very little barrel notes from.

 

I thought the Summer Jam and So Icyyy bottles presented the best nuance between fruit and wine barrel character.

Game Over Black Razz and Boysenberry brought on a little more pucker, but neither overpowered the fruit.

Game Over Passionfruit Guava and Raspberry Kush were wild with the pucker factor, in the Rare Barrel category of sour for me, but again, didn't overpower the fruit.

I thought that their Game Over Citra Simcoe was wonderful, no fruit, but a ton of juicy character from the hops.

The gose offerings that Barrel Culture had on tap this summer were brilliant, full fruited and refreshing as hell!

I thought the popsicle sours that they did were awful, but I give them credit for the creativity. If they bring back the popsicle sours I hope they use local whole fruit popsicles and not the artificial crap.

Favorites for me so far ;

50 Carats Vanilla Razz
Fruit Wave Black Currant
Game Over Black Razz
Game Over Citra Simcoe
So Icyyy Raspberry And Blueberry
Summer Jam Double Barrel Tangerine, Blood Orange, and Chardonnay Grapes
Summer Jam Double Blueberry
Summer Jam Double Mango and Marshmallows
Y'all So Last Year

I can't wait to see what they do as their barrel program and blends mature. Great start and already turning out some brilliant wine barrel aged sours.

 

Agree 100% on this for sure. I had to recheck the bottle to make sure I didn’t pick up a fruited one after tasting it. I was pleasantly surprised, and it blew away a fruited game over I had side by side at a tasting last week.

 

What's the average price for drafts? I see bottles are averaging around $20. Ask because I hope to go this Saturday.

 

It’s around $5 per pour and don’t forget to stop by KoKyu Na'Mean for a sandwich afterwards, you won’t regret it.

 

That’s my biggest issue with their beers, they lack any essence of a barrel but these are the best sours in the state right now and the brewery started less then an year ago, it’s impressive. They lack the consistency of Side Project, De Garde and anything Green Man was putting out a few years ago.

 

Wow I wouldn’t even put them in my top 5 in the state yet, although I’m sure they’ll get there eventually.

 

Whose in your top 5? Alphabetical order, I would go with Barrel Culture, Burial, Fonta Flora, Salud Cerveceria, Zebulon. Pre-sell out Wicked Weed would be on my list. I've had a few offerings from LBC and Brewery Bhavana that grabbed my attention.

I thought the wine barrel characteristics were prevalent in the Summer Jam and So Icyyy releases, but lacking in the Game Over releases.

 

I’d go Zebulon, Fonta Flora, Burial, Hi-Wire, and Wicked Weed. Also think all Wooden Robot’s sours have been top tier, but they’ve only had a few.

I think Barrel Culture is well on their way to being in that group, just not ready to say they’re better than all those yet. But it’s obviously very subjective, Wild beer is even more subject to personal preference than other styles.

 

@CavemanRamblin How could I forget Wooden Robot? And I'm with you 100%, no one has claimed the poll position for wilds.

 

Agreed. Personally, I have an aversion towards Fonta and their 'pickle' yeast, but a lot of people enjoy it.

I am just really glad NC is starting to see some really top-tier breweries as that wasn't the case not long ago.

I think Barrel Culture has a ways to go. For being such a young brewery, has been putting out tasty and interesting brews, and having them and Na'Mean up the street from me makes Thursday afternoons a waaaay better experience!

 

I'm holding off judgement on BC until we get some sours that aren't 2 month turnarounds. They have been abrasively sour at times and pure fruit juice at others (not my forte but some people love joose). Steve is very receptive and I hope with some more time they will learn how to restrain their cultures so they aren't so sour. It also doesn't help that many of the fruits that they use are also so acidic.

All that being said, the sour scene in NC is still fairly wide open. Bond hasn't been all that impressive with theirs so far. I haven't had Wooden Robot, but have heard good things. Green Man has taken a huge step backwards and even Zebulon isn't where I thought Mike would have it by now. Granted, it's still only around 1 year old so there is plenty of time. I'm also agree that FF is too pickle forward in my opinion, but many many many would rate them #1 in the state. Should be interesting in the next couple years to see how things progress.

 

What’s an example of a FF beer that has a pickle taste? I’m trying to pinpoint what y’all are referring to.

 

Their culture in general leaves a dill flavor in my mouth, especially with age. Not sure what it is but I'm overall not a fan.