Driftwood Bird of Prey Flanders Red

Brewed by Driftwood Brewery (Canada)
Style: Sour Red/Brown
Victoria, Canada

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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In short: An oaky fruity amber ale. Ok beer but not much of a Flemish Sour.
How: Bottle 22oz, consumed when approximately 1 year of age. Bottle sent to me by mcberko, thanks a lot Matt.
The look: Mostly cloudy dark amber body topped by a beige ring of foam.
In long: Nose is phenolic, warm mcdonalds apple pie, Taste is dominated by a warm fruity flavor that I can only describe as baked fruits, grainy cereals, again the mcdonalds apple pie flavor, light notes of cherries, pie crust, good oak presence, alcohol very much noticeable at only 7.5%, canned fruits juice sweetness, a mild tartness, almost no sourness. I never had such a strong sensation of mcdonalds apple pie in a beer before. Medium carbonation with a medium oily body. As a Flemish Sour this is a failure, but as an oaky fruity beer this is actually inoffensively drinkable even if a bit oily-sweet. Meh, if actual birds of prey were that lame, by now America would probably be ruled by an adorable small mammals government.

Pours deep orange with an off-white head. Aromas of sour cherry, vanilla, oak, pineapple, burnt sugar, and acetic acid. Tastes are the same as the aroma, plus currants and a vinous note. Finishes dry and tart. I had one of these right after it was released in fall 2011, and unfortunately didn’t take notes on that one... but based on my memory it is a little more mellow and complex now. Excellent!

Bouteille de 650 ml partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal. Arôme: Légère odeur de fruit sûrette. Apparence: La couleur est orangée légèrement voilée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de cerise sûrette avec une pointe de boisé. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence de fruit sûrette en arrière goût. (Rating #4605)

My Bottom Line:
Soft cereals carry cherry fruitiness and an acetic touch for an approchable but ultimately forgettable Flemish Red.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A circle of foam surrounds the hazy, dull amber red.
-Carbonation is soft, making this very drinkable.
-Fruity acidity is gentle; perhaps too much so.
-This is not complex enough for my tastes in the style.
-Although this is well made, no flavor (or texture) really stood out enough for me to crave more.

Bottle.

650 ml bottle. 2011 vintage. Pours an amber read with light head. Slightly sour funky smell of spoiled fruit and resin. Mildly sour earhy taste with vanilla and woody notes to start followed by bitter stoned fruit. Much better than the original tasting in 2011.

Bottle 650? ml
Aroma solid approach. Blend of sourness, some alcohol , mild clean funk and cask treatment. 8-
Appearance thick murky, cloudy light brown with light top.
Flavor and Palate : dry, tart ,alcoholic. Fairly strong barrel feel. Sourness with funk followed. Solid brewing. Yummy.

On tap at Alibi 300. Pours murky copper orange. Aroma of sour fruits, funk, vanilla and oak. Flavour is the same. Well balanced sweetness, pleasant to drink.

deep amber color, lots of granny apples, cinammon, baked apples pie . Sour but not over the top. Tons of fresh nutmeg and cinammon in an aplle cinammon pie. Not as sour as I want, but amazing depth. Thanks Mike for providing this very special beer.

From a bomber at Café 3 små rum, Göteborg, Sweden. Clear amber, medium off-white head. Woody red berries aroma with some vinegar and red apples. Light to medium bodied, medium carbonation. Semi sweet, medium acidity, some bitterness. Interesting and highly drinkable.

Sample from bottle courtesy of a friend @ 3 Små Rum. Pours hazy reddish orange with a small creamy off-white head that quickly dissipates while leaving a small trace on the glass. Smell is sweet and sour with burnt sugar, vinegar, red and black currants, wood, lemon zest and horse blanket. Taste is sour and slightly sweet with wood, red currants, raspberries, strawberries, vinegar, burnt sugar, hay, funk and hints of barnyard. Mouthfeel is tart, slightly dry and medium bodied. Finish is dry, sour and tart with black currants, wild strawberries, hay and lemon zest. Very nice, balanced and surprisingly complex.