Russian River Consecration

Brewer's Notes: Dark Ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from local wineries. It is aged for 4 to 8 months with black currants, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus added to each barrel. Rich flavors of chocolate truffle, spice, tobacco, currants, and a bit of Cabernet. Very full-bodied, sip slowly!

202202: MS provided me with a bottle of this rare gem. The craft in the brew is obvious. However, it was too vinous for my tastes. Too much cab and not enough brett.

Rating = 4.5 glasses.

Bavik Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Beer: Petrus Aged Pale Ale 

Brewer: Bavik / De Brabandere

Style: Wild Ale (BA classified it as Flanders Oud Bruin in 2009)

Brewer's Notes: Petrus Aged Pale is a 100% beer from our foeders. Michael Jackson, the beer hunter, chose the name in the late 1990s – and he was the first to sell this beer in his beer clubs. Today, it is still the reference for sour beers in the US. Petrus Aged Pale has won multiple gold medals in beer competitions worldwide. Moreover, ever since the start of the brewery, the beer has been used as a blending-beer with other beers to give them fresh, slightly sour flavors and aromas.

Aged in Oak foeders for over 24 months

From Web site: 

Why use such large oak foeders?

Because we don’t want the taste of the oak, as in cask aging. The wood is simply a special container, a kind of breeding ground for the various micro-organisms that convert the remaining sugars from the main fermentation into acids, higher alcohol content and esters. We also need the wood as a permeable wall: air slowly penetrates the wood and enters the beer, creating a controlled oxidation. This process proceeds very slowly – it takes 2 years to result in a refreshingly sour beer with a very fruity aroma.

During the 24 months of ageing, the microbiological flora in the wood reacts with the beer to produce its slightly sour flavor and distinctive aroma.

Tasting notes

(202202) Wow! Much better than I remembered. Tart and vinegary w/ a hint of oak. Alex said it packed a wallop. I want more.

Rating: 6 and thought about going higher.

(200905) An interesting twist on a Belgian Pale Ale. Aging in oak gives the beer a touch of apple and lemon. Good but not great. I wanted more kick. 

Old Rating: 4 glasses

Fantôme Printemps

Printemps (= Spring) is a seasonal release from Fantôme that varies from year to year.

02 Feb. 2022
From the label: "Belgian Ale brewed with spices." Printemps is a wonderful saison. It lacks some of the funk of Fantôme Saison. It is super carbonated.

Rating = 5.5 glasses