New Glarus Unplugged Enigma

Formerly brewed at New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

12oz bottle from drewbeerme - thanks! Wow, this is a truly gorgeous beer. On the pour my first thought was that its lustrous red-to-brown body (minimal lacing) and wafting tartness resembled JP’s La Roja. There’s certainly something to this, with this beer’s funk and earthiness and wild yeast. But damn if that oak aging doesn’t just put this into another category, with subtle hints of not just the oak but also vanilla and just a trace of coconut (but hey, maybe that last bit’s just me). Truly awesome.

I didn’t really find this beer quite as exceptional as it is listed here. In fact, I found it not expectional at all...while I love sour, I did not find the sour in this beer to be particularly appealing. It is a sour cherry flavor, but the fruitiness was more of a rotting fruit than a pleasant fruitiness. Appearance was a red-brown with a soapy head. Mouthfeel was dry and astringent, and not bad. This beer is not exceptional, but OK.

Murky brown beer out of the bottle with only a whisp of off white bubbles trying to form a head. Here is my disclaimer about not being a fan of sour beers. This beer got less offensive as it warmed. Wet smokey wood and old cherry juice in the nose. Flavor has lots of sour cherry, oak, funky sweet/tart candy, and an overriding earthiness that is just too funky for me. Every drink caused my mouth to pucker in a slightly unpleasant manner. I finished the beer, but it wasn’t easy.

Pours a light brown with a small white head. Slightly hazy. Very nice floral spiciness to it, big cinnamon and a little mint too. Alot going on in the nose. A little tart, very sweet, some acidity, citrus fruits, lemons, grapefruit, and malts. Nice flavor, really easy drinking with alot of unique flavors. Good stuff.

(Bottle via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=2 target=blank>CaptainCougar, thanks Tom!) Wow this was quite awesome...Pours like unfiltered apple cider - or more precisely like murky orangish brown iced tea with one finger of lightly yellowish-biege head. Aroma of spices and citrus (orange, orange rind, lemon). Mouthfeel very soft but full - alot like Belgian Red. This beer is well-carbonated but I didn’t feel it on my tongue. How do they achieve this great mouthfeel? Taste is simple yet great - lightly sour citrus tang and spice with hints of wood. Luscious and tasty. On Wisconsin!

Shared bottle thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Pours opaque ruby orange, slight salmon head. Aroma is funky, musty, spicy, salty sardines without the fishy aftertaste. Flavor is slightly creamy, vinegar chips, orange/apricot on the back of the tongue.

12oz bottle, cellar aged approx. 9months. pours hazy dull red apple with condensed off-white head. nose is busting with cherries, subtle plum, cherry pit, nice sour kick, touch of caramel, red apple/ciderish flavor. this is a tad more sour and complex than when fresh. mouthfeel is full. carbonation is low-med. low acidity, very drinkable. it is however a very tasty cherry sourish beer.

Chicago trip. Monday 21:20+. Wish we had more than one bottle. Cloudy red amber. Sour yeasty cherry aroma. Great woody sour cherry flavour. Short finish. Delicious.