New Glarus Unplugged Enigma

Muddy, particle filled pour wasn’t particularly pleasing, but nevertheless intriguing. Very weak off-white head. Unique aroma, probably the most unique I have ever experienced in my short beer drinking career has hints of wood (particularly oak), alcohol, and fermented cherries. Taste is just as unique. The taste is extremely sour (alas the classification as a Sour Ale) with flavors of cherry, yeast, and even some smoke interlaced amongst many other flavors I am unable to decipher. I couldn’t help thinking that this drank more like a wine than a beer, and a very complex wine at that. Considering I have one more in the fridge from a recent visit to New Glarus, WI, I’ll revise my rating in the near future. That being said, this is a one-of-a-kind brew that goes beyond convention, and for the most part, comes through a winner.

Bottle (Much thanks Ughsmash!) Pours a hazy medium brown w/ some reddish notes and thin white head. The funky sourness in very apparent in the aroma, along with some yeast and a little cherry. The funky sourness is also very prevalent in the flavor, complemented nicely by the cherries and malt. I totally dig this brew! I need more!

Bottle, thanks Hogtown Harry. Neat murky brown in the glass, still, no head. Nice aroma - vanilla, oak chips, wood, sourness. Taste: very sour, but with an awesome combo of vanilla and cherries. Lots of wood. Complex stuff here, I really enjoyed sipping this one. So drinkable yet well, thoughtful I guess. Hard to explain. These guys really pulled off a delicate balancing act with the sourness and the vanilla from the wood - wow, amazing stuff, I loved it.

Ruddy reddish brown, quite opaque, fizzy, light head of tiny whitened foam. Nice lacing in unique patterns of tight circled holes within a small sheeting effect across the glass face. Aroma is a light mixture of tart cherry and red grapes. Softly hazed by a earthy plum and soured candy sugars. Taste is boomng with a fair tart snap, yet rounded and lightly fizzy enough for a full duration of quitely placed sourness and earthyness of cherry, grape, and lemon. Becomes a bit more more green grapey as it sits and blends into an almost wine-like quality. The subtle play of earth tones are quite unique with both a twiggy/woodish play touching some floral hints of petal oils. The tartness is very nice, earthy dirty lemon, lime, and cherry hit with a fineness and care to the palate that oothes off into a ever so faint dryness. Yes...OOthes... Mouthfeel is zingy and fresh with a greatly well rounded tone of tartness and sourness blending together to make for a nice little brazen sip and dance on the tongue every chance it can. Leaves a delicate lemony, cherry tart, earthy dryness floating about as it squeezes the last simpleness of the fruits out as if sucking on the stem or peel themselves. A wonderfully zingy, fruity, earthy little brew the Enigma is. New Glarus has taken the Belgian Red And Raspberry Tart and turned that style into another snappy, fun drink to behold. Yum!

From a 12oz Bottle. Purchased at Riley’s Wines of the World in Madison, WI. Also sampled previously from a bottle received in a trade. Thanks, Tom! This rating is basically a revisit to see if I could make myself like this beer more the second time, but as much as I wanted to, it just didn’t happen. For as awesome as this style is, the difficulty and rarity of superb execution is really noteworthy. Pours a filtered, slightly hazy color of caramelized apple cider with some gentle ruddy hues and a huge layer of artificial-looking cream head. Big head at first that billows marvelously as the CO2 comes out of solution, but is left to collapse pathetically soon afterwards without any upward and living carbonation to keep it revitalized. Aroma of slightly sweet red cherries with a bit of caramel soaked oak and a cidery flare. The funkiness comes off being sweet, spicy, and cidery, and not as dry as I’d hoped to find. Lots of cherry, but not really any tannins to help it out. Medium bodied, lightly carbonated mouthfeel with a gentle spiciness. Too sweet and acetone-like sherriness for my tastes, but not overly cloying. Lots of cherry flavors that are pleasant, but simple. Almost a bit of a bubblegummy flavor that accompanies the cidery flavors. A light peppery spice lingers, but really needs more dryness to highlight the complexities of the sourness a bit more. I’d love to let this one sit in my cellar for awhile to continue to dry out and funkify, but oh yeah, it’s filtered.

Bottle, from trade with JCapriotti. Good aroma, sour. Not an overpowering sourness. Sharp & fruity though. Cherry mainly, little sugar & yeast too. got occasional cocoa when I didn’t try to think about it. Cloudy orangy brown color, good head that faded quickly to a foam cover. Ok lacing. Sour, bitter flavor. Cherry mainly, some wood, oak. caramel & cocoa. Medium body, creamy mouthfeel, bitter sour finish. Seems nice, I’m not a big sour head usually. Was enjoying the sweet factor that would duck in and out of the sourness as I rolled it on my tongue.

A hazy reddish brown ale with a thin off white head. Brett hits you right away, as does nice little cherries, candy sugar. A nice complex horseblanket. In mouth, a light sweet cherry with strong organic notes, wood, bark, flowers. Rich and complex...more please! Tasted at "Montréal YeHA! Party 2006". Dec. 16 2006.

Bottle. Wonderful aroma. Barrel aged. Some sour notes. Murky, reddish brown. Slightly off-white head. Head almost fully disappears. No lace. Sour brown. Really good. Very similar but, better than the NG Unplugged Sour Brown of a couple of years ago. This one’s more drinkable and less sour per my recollection. The best sour beer I can recall.