Panil Barriquée (Sour)

Bottle at Paul’s Hoboken Gathering: Hazy amber pour with a tan head. Nice fruity aroma with raspberries, chocolate, passion fruit, mild tart notes. Nice body with an elegant flavor. Tart raspberry flavors, along with subtle white chocolate (but not too sweet) and a light oak presence. Smooth, balanced and complex.

2006. Purplish red eggplant color, no head to speak of. Grape juice aroma. Dry, mellow feel. Flavor: more grape juice, sour, woodsy notes, tannic. As far as beers go, this is comparable to drinking a light pinot noir or beaujolais. Starting to notice some applesauce/cinnamon in the aroma. Turns out to be quite drinkable. Prickly sensation reminds me that this is actually a beer. Actually, I’m liking this more as I’m drinking it, way more than I probably should. A purely hedonistic beer (fair or not) that just leaves you really wishing for more.

2007. Nice tan head with reddish to brown color and clear. Sour, tart, fruity, wood, bretty, in the smell. Taste has oak, fruit, tartiness. Nice sour finish. Good beer, I enjoyed it.

Batch #8 2007, bottle 1091. Pours a hazy amber-hued brown with a beige head that fades to a solid cap, leaving spotty lacing. The head is layered, with beige bubbles below and white froth on top. The nose is horseblanket, vinegar, tart cherries, lactic acid, wet wood and cheesy cider. The inital flavour is bright, sour fruits, dust and earthy hops, then finishing with balsamic vinegar, musty cheese, oak and vanilla. This is an insanely complex and balanced sour ale. The palate is silken with gentle carbonation and a chewy body. There are some metallic notes of iron, but it for some odd reason seems to complement the beer.

Bottle shared at Dark Lord Day 08. Pours a light red wine color with a white head. Smells like a sour and has a sour taste that is not over the top like some other sours I have tried. A solid brew.