New Glarus Unplugged Enigma

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

Damn close to perfection here. The beer starts off with a muddy brownish red pour that is not exactly the most pleasing thing to look at. The aroma hits notes of cinnamon, cherry, and vanilla. Very woody. The taste is just amazing. Tart cherries and sweet oaky vanilla notes sit on top of a wonderful simulated spiciness. Neat banana like finish as well. Not quite as sour as some belgian examples of the style but it’s amazing fruity taste gives this one more complexity than I’m used to in the more traditional versions of this beer. I’m floored by this one. I knew having a little brother move out to Wisconsin would be good for something.

thanks cmubeerman. an aggressive pour yields a quarter inch of dirty white head over a murky deep red brown cider. smells terrific. some sourness, but more autumn apple/pear aroma. lots of cinnamon and some honey and nuts. tastes something like an oerbier if that had more beer flavor. the body is about as thick but the flavor a tiny bit less pronounced. definitely get some cherries and those other fruits still linger as complement. i definitely would not call this very tart compared to the belgian red and raspberry tart. i think it’s way more of a beer. in fact i’m wavering on my taste score because i love that i could drink several of these and not get tired of it, but the reason for that is less flavor. 7% well disguised though. perfectly balanced. pretty damned good. every time i have this i love it even more.

Bottle, via secret santa. Pours a brownish ruby color with a minimal tan colored head. Aroma of vanilla, sour cherry, oak. Flavor is vanilla, sour cherries, oak, vinegar, vineous, brown sugar. Palate is medium bodied, mildly carbonated, sweet, yet very tart, oh so complex finish. Good lord this stuff is great. Absolutely amazing the rainbow of flavors as this warmed. World class.

Orange brown body, off-white head, some lacing; Sweet and a little sour nose, vanilla cherry cinnamon like sweetness, to sweet and and quite 1-dim, especially for a top Flemish sour ale or any kind of sour beer; Soft a bit thin textured, big soft carbonation, balanced sweet and only a little sour, lacks complexity and depth; Medium long finish, again more sweet then sour and with even more artificial vanilla aroma. The sweet cherry aromas makes it a bit clogging and to me it lacks elegance in any way. I am very happy to have tasted this beer, thanks Iowaherkeye!

Tart, acidic, complex and quite beautiful. Nice play on mouthfeel with chewiness and carbonation freaking around and helping the flavor engage my troubled and weary tongue after a long night - just mazing how it cut through all the residual beer tasted prior. Excellent choice by the generous guy that I prefer to think of as the asshole most know as Walt. Even though his attempt to take my title away shll not remain unchallenged. Would love to experience this beer again even if I had to face Walt once more.

I’ve fallen off the rating train...and at this point have failed to rate far more beers than I have managed to...but this brew has compelled me to do so. It is possibly the best smelling beer I have encountered. Pours a cloudy woody red with a almond head. Aroma is awesome...definitely a flemish sour, but with a ton of malt sweetness, wood, coconut, cherries, whiskey, almonds, and other fruit. Flavor is also quite malty of a flemish sour...but brings to mind some sort of mixture between a regular rodenbach and a barrel aged fruit beer. Mouthfeel is also near perfect for the style. This is an enigma...this beer kicks ass...and is possibly the most progressive flem sour i have had.

New Glarus Unplugged Enigma pours a murky brown sugar color with a thin, veil on the surface. A complex mixture of cherries, apples, vinegar, vanilla, and oak mend together beautifully to create the wonderfully complex aroma and flavor. This beer is isn’t overly sour, but it isn’t necessarily sweet either. The sweet, sour, and tangy attributes work well together and are nicely balanced while they work with and against each other. The flavors imparted by the barrel aging are quite welcomed and add another layer of complexity to this beer without being overly obvious or imparting a disproportionate influence. Smooth and almost full bodied; light carbonation level (not flat or too fizzy). Enigma is a very well crafted beer that is almost a privilege to drink. It is formulated in such a way that really could appeal to the tastes of many people with diverse palates. Overall it is much like the New Glarus Belgian Red, only less intense in all regards (aroma, flavor, and slightly lighter mouthfeel)... 12 of bottle from 4-pack. I managed to get pickup one pack while visiting the brewery in November 2006 and another from a friends visiting from Chicagoland (thanks Jason and Lisa!).

Pours a murky light brown color with trails of soapy head swirling on top. Aroma sour, but not extreme, white grapes, oak, vanilla, subtle cherry. I was surprised after the first taste at how subdued the sourness was. The taste was an interestingly mild mix of sourness, tart cherries, and tannic flavors. The cherry-sourness lingers nimbly on the palate after consumption. Nothing intense flavor-wise, but an interesting display of complexity and restraint.