Alpine Beer Company Chez Monieux

Brewed by Alpine Beer Company (CA)
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Alpine, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Sample from a 750ml bottle. Pours clear pink (filtered? it’s not bottle conditioned, at least). Nose is soft cream, mellow lactobacillus prickliness, fruit note is tart but candied and resembles jolly ranchers without the extreme sweetness. Prickly and soft up front, medium frothiness, mild sourness, mild acidity, leaves a lasting dry tartness on the tongue. Good overall, I like it, especially the lingering dryness, but the rest of it, I like it but I’m not exactly sure why,

preCBC tour on tap @the brewery-pours hazy red with a pink head. Aroma is medium malt, cherry, earthy. Taste is cherry, wood, medium malt. No real sour, but enjoyable.

Shared a bottle with friends. Poured a light ruby color, small white head. Aroma was sour cherry funk notes, with... cheese, toe-jam. Stink. Eh, did not enjoy the aroma at all, obviously this is not supposed to be this way. Flavor was, quite a bit better - slightly tart, but the aroma is extremely hard to get past. Next time?

On tap at Alpine in a smallish 8oz or so pour. The color is ruby read with a small white head. Aromas is sour cherries. I can’t smell even a hint of wild yeast. The aroma is pretty disappointing. The taste is pretty sour and it tastes like they spiked the keg with lactic acid. It doesn’t really have a typical wild ale smell or taste. To me it’s almost an artificial sour. Lots of sour cherries and maybe some red wine. It wasn’t very good and I had really high hopes since this is the first sour I’ve ever had from Alpine. My first disappointment out of this fantastic brewery.

Sampled at anesbls tasting. Dark brown red with a pink head. A sour cherry flavor. Stomach acid flavor. Odd but interesting.

at Alpine Brewing. good aroma, tart, fruity, cherry, grape, berry, minor yeasty funk, brownish red color, ok head and lace. Tart flavor. Lite body, smooth mouthfeel, bitter tart finish. Good, flavor was best part, had a sweet streak with tartness that I liked.

Bottle poured after moving. (Moving sucks butt) Pours a deep wine red with next to no head. Maybe a few bubbles here and there. Aroma is a little off with some funky cheese and fruit notes that linger then disappear with some time and warmth. Taste is at first a little bitter (odd) with then some more funk, bitter cherry skin about 1/3 of the way through the taste and a very hot/wine like finish. Overall, it wasn’t horrible and the palate was actually really nice with the body being a little thicker which is a definite plus in sours for me. I haven’t had a "great" Alpine sour but glad they are doing these bottles.

Bottle. Poured a muddy dark red, with small head. Aroma of cheese, cherry and acidic sourness. Not the best aroma, at least the flavor was better (much less cheese). Flavor of sour cherries, bread, acidic, earthy, and sweetness. meh, I expect better from alpine.

Bottle: pour is murky ruby with a frothy and modest pinkish head in this glass. Modest retention, and modest lacing as well. The nose is cheese, cherry skins, and some earth and funk really. The Flavor profile is more cheese, horse blanket, tart cherry skins and juice, some lemon peel, bread... It begins on the funky side and mellows near the finish. This is a nice one, but could use a little age on it

Bottle courtesy of saru96. Served in a SAVOR wine glass. Pours a reddish purple with a thin light pink head that fades down into a collar. The nose carries some cherry juice and light earthiness to the background. Somewhat musty. The flavor has a bit of an odd creaminess to it along with mild must and earth. Light to medium body and slightly chewy. Not really a bid fan, whether as a wild or just as a fruit beer.

murky red-purple, no head. Nose is bile, vomit, light cherry yogurt, oppressive and sick. Flavor is sweeter, murky cherry skin and pith, not as much offense. Thin, sticky, but no acetic.