4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20***2009 Vintage (bottled Aug. 2009)***
Despite what the label says, the ABV is 7.5% as per JF Gravel of DDC.
I’m kind of excited as this is my first local barrel-aged beer.
Poured from a 341ml. bottle.
Appearance: A slightly clear, gold body fills the glass that gets decidedly hazier as i pour the last of the bottle and the yeast mixs in. A thick and insistent head that gradually receds leaving lots of lacing. A good start for sure.
Smell: Citrus & yeast that come out at first followed by some funk & bubblegum. Bananas & cloves are present as well. At first i don’t smell the Pinot but later on i get a whiff of wine. Very nice indeed.
Taste: I’m struck as to how the Pinot aspect is quite present in the first sips. Has a slight vinegar edge, not unpleasant, with a dose of funk and an overall dryness to it. Definite wood presence also. Some banana flavor mixed in there as well as a spicy clove finish. Though there is a definite Belgian influence, the Pinot is the prime player here.
Mouthfeel: The best feature of this beer IMO. Very low carbonation which makes this beer just glide in my mouth with effortless ease. Though the Pinot is strong, i find the body quite literally amazing. So very good.
Drinkability: Drinks quite well with an ABV that is not easily perceptible in the taste. Though the strength of the barrel-aged Pinot took me some getting used to, i grew accustomed to it and ended up loving the taste.
Overall: While drinking this beer, i could sense that this was an experiment but i believe that they pulled it off quite well. Too bad not many people will get a chance to try it but worth the effort to acquire IMO.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle while waiting for CBC 2013. Thanks to _angst_. Cloudy apricot color with a nice lasting white head. Fruity vinous aroma, apricots, pear, woody, yeasty notes, spicy, mango, citrus, floral notes. Fruity floral flavor, vinous, yeasty, hoppy, grassy, sourish, woody notes.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Soft nose with obvious white wine characteristics. Fruity and spritzy - peach, some honey and chardonnay. Smooth body, well rounded by the barrel. Unique.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottled. Nose of oak, butter, peaches, Chardonney, then pinot, but wine definitely, and orange. Dry, oaky flavor, a bit butter. Dry as hell. Interesting but a bit off-putting.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle at tasting, thanks Tim. Orange, bit hazy, white bubbly head. Aroma is funky, cream cheese and chive, lots of funk. Taste is nice, bit sharp, quite fruity, lots of grapes, flat creaminess. Nice winey backbone. Like it a lot.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Thanks goes to Mike for not raping me in the alley and presenting me with this beer instead. 10 minute power review begins...... NOW!! Hazy apricot, small head due to an unusually careful pour, thin silty lacing. Perplexing nose: similar BA finish with similar notes hitch hiking into the bottle as the 6e. Strong oak, berries (substituting in strawberry), honey. Apricot, straw, dull pepper. The aroma lacks power but has some delicate qualities. Flappy mouth thing of wonder: sweet berries, misplaced yet acceptable sourness, apricot, dryness, belg yeast, pepper is more obvious in taste than in snort but still subdued. Lemony tartness, light funk I think. Ok mouthfeel - it’s all over the place so I guess that is cool. My only honest sips for pure enjoyment only half intrigue me. Lots if stuff going on but it doesn’t quite get put all together in the flavour category. Not your normal beer tho. Ankles.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
I think my friend’s analogy of a sophisticated women with a certain something to her that can’t be pinpointed is a good analogy of the beer. Smooth, round deep and complex. Very nice from start to finish. Oak is more noticeable than pinot noir.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle shared by Drew. Thanks! Pours a straw gold, lightly hazed. Nose is full of white wine, soft oak, a bit catty. Faint yeast and straw. On tasting, light tart white wine. Some oak tannin to build this out. Light tart notes dry out the palate. This took to the barrel very well. Quite nice.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle. Pours hazy gold with white head. Aroma oaky, pluots, tankic, flavors pluots, oaky, tannic, bit watery but good.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
12oz bottle. Thanks to Andrew for sharing this... Pours a slightly hazy pale orangey hue and topped with a thin wispy white head... Aroma of earth, oak, light citrus, vanilla, and a touch of yeast. Miley sweet, a touch tart... Flavors are more of the same with light buttery yeast and mild oak. Slightly tart and tannic and sweeter through the middle. Slightly dry backend and thinner bodied.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
2011 Pinot bottle via a trade. Pours with a murky orange-golden hued body with a ring of white head. Aromas show lots of wet wood, oak, red wine, berries, slightly musty, baked bread, vanilla, jammy. Slightly chewy. Flavors are of marmalade, jammy, wet wood, pinot, dry, tea, millet bread, deep caramel, light spice. Medium bubbles, dry and tannic. Light nougat. Elegant.
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