Crabtree 5

Brewed by Crabtree Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Greeley, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Pour out of 750 mL bottle is deep red almost brown, pretty hard to see through but not hazy, nice creamy white head, eggshell white, carbonation streaming finely off the glass. Aroma has notes of big caramelized raisins, nice red wine notes, hints of orange and spicy zesty notes, some nice rich toffee as well. Taste is a nice mix of big raisin and caramelized raisin, hints of some fig and toffee, goes into a slight orange and the oriander comes through a bit, hints of wine and vinous grape notes, slight tart note in there finishing fairly sweet but dries out very well. This is a rich sipper, very tasty though and definitely the best I’ve had from them.

Courtesy of daknole. Pours clear amber with thin off white head. The aroma is nice and complex with dank moldy earthiness, tart wine notes, brown sugar simmered raisins, wood, tannins and scorched toffee. The taste starts smooth and yummy with raisins mixing with red wine tartness, some wood and slings of caramel, toffee, vanilla and barrel-y arrows. Nice and easy drinking.

Nice golden pour with a light head. The aroma of citrus is very inviting. Taste the sour but not bitter at all. This is a nice light sour.

Mahogany pour, white head. Aroma is spicy, tart, some toothpick. Flavor is sweet/tart/fruity and spicy. A yeast note, and a nice body to it. Very cool beer.

750ml bottle 9/16/11 (Davidson’s Liquor)-48° in Tulip. Aroma of funk and sour. Taste of sour, wine, fruitiness, and tart. This medium bodied brew is not bad and pretty well balanced. Something I have to acquire.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly lasting. Body is dark amber. Aroma is lightly malty (caramel, toasted grain), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of sour cherry, oak, sour apple (w/skins), corn syrup, sassafras. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery/syrupy texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Well, it’s certainly infected with bacteria, but presumably intentionally so. The aroma instantly reminds one of a Flemish red, so it’s odd the description here says "Belgian Abbey"...ummm, no...maybe prior to aging, but at this point it’s almost all sour fruit notes. There also seems to be no trace of the coriander or citrus zest, but if it’s really been sitting in wine barrels for a year that might explain that. It’s not as sour as one would hope from something like this, but it’s not wimpy either. Kinda watery and syrupy in the mouth, so combined with the lingering sticky sweetness it’s not all that much fun to drink. But the aroma is pleasant, and the head lasts pretty well. If this wasn’t meant to be a sour ale, well...I don’t know what to say.

750ml bottle, corked and caged. Pours a hazy amber brown with a medium creamy off white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is molasses, chocolate, sweet vinous, slightly tart, fruits (cherry), raisins and some wood notes.

The flavor is sweet chocolate, dark fruits, and slightly tart cherries with vinous winey alcohol leading to a dry finish. As it warms, some off notes some out in the flavor that detract some. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall...wow! This is an excellent, well balanced, complex and flavorful beer. Better by far than anything I’ve ever had by Crabtree. This beer proves why you should buy new beers to give them a shot even if you aren’t too excited by them.

Bottle @ home. Dark brown appearance with a light brown head. Belgian yeasty, caramel, slightly tart, red grapes, and a bit of chocolate and toffee in the nose. Caramel, chocolate, Belgian yeast, wine, raisins, light coriander, and some citrus fruits in the flavor as well as some tartness. The sourness is also in the finish leading to a dry, slightly fruity finish. Wow, what a delicious beer. By far, the best I’ve ever had from Crabtree!

750 ml corked and caged bottle poured a clear reddish amber with a lasting amber head. Aromas of red grapes, oak, coriander, orange zest and a hint of coconut. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of coriander, oak, red grapes and light orange with a smooth lingering fruity coriander finish. Would be a great beer if they toned down the coriander a bit.