New Glarus Unplugged Enigma

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

Im going to try and be fair here. My only Caveat is that admittedly, I don’t care for these sour beers. That said, I can say that this is a well crafted ale, for this style. It’s definitely sweeter then other brett-infused beers I have had, and thus a tad more pleasing to my palate. In short, I can understand why this beer receives it’s high marks, it just doesn’t appeal to my tastes.

Pours an orangish brown with a creamy tan head. Sour cherry is the main aroma with some brown sugar notes hidden beneath. La Folie was my first Sour Flemish; however, this would have been a better introduction. Not nearly as potent, but it still encompasses the complexity of the style. Very good indeed, and hopefully this won’t give me the stomach ache I had with La Folie. Based on this I would like to try some more of the sour beer variety.

16JUN2007
I drank a bottle of this over at BBB63’s place. Jesus this beer has aged well. The oak is right in your face, and the malt and cherry have blended superbly. Outstanding.

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter. Murky brown that turns red when held to light. Tart cherry, vanilla, 2X4, and cough drops in the nose. Tart cherries headline each drink. Lots of cask character with a long bitter finish. Substantial body. A pleasure to drink.
Original Rating: 3.6

Bottle. Murky brown-red body with a small white head. Cherry aroma, lemon, hops, mild acidity, and a sticky fruit presence. Mouthfeel is pleasant with cherry flavours balancing between mild tartness. Almost viscous sweetness but then you are presented with waves of fruit acidity. Very nice.

Bonus Bottle from trade with OhioDad. Thanks Scott. Pour is deep mahogany with no head and light lacing. Aroma is full and complex. New Glarus (like the Belgian Red) cherries, cinnamon, oak, mild vanilla, and a nice tart finish. Very enjoyable and full flavored. Not as puckering as the New Belgium adaptation but very tasty nonetheless. Would love to get more bottle of this.

Tastes good. Not Belgian Red good, but pretty damn good nonetheless. Its not even Cherry Stout good, but its still pretty f-ing good. There’s something about those Montmorency cherries which makes oak-aging impart a really distinct sweet, tart, nutty flavor that is just so satisfying. Belgian Red has it, Cherry Stout has it, and this has it. The Brett seems to accentuate the tartness of the cherries, and it also dovetails well with the drying sensation caused by the oak. Did I mention it was pretty good?

Bottle. Opaque red-brown body under a small tan head. Brown sugar/caramel aroma with maraschino cherries and sweet raspberry syrup. While the aroma is a bit dull with its sweetness the flavor gets more interesting with a shot of sour raspberry/grapefruit acidity and weakening of the brown sugar element. Great sour finish that tickles the nose. This is a fine sour beer, has an excellent balance.

I drank the Enigma on a week day with very little pressure, expecting a good Flemish Sour and rather excited about my first taste of New Glarus, but not anticipating the overwhelming quality of this brew. The appearance is not shocking, showing a rather mundane mahogany shade and a volatile off-white foam, but the slightest wisp of air drifting to my nose was galvanizing. Juicy and explosive, the aroma is a complex amalgam of memorable scents. Mountains of raw brown sugar spew magmatic sour apples and cherries, with which an utterly perplexing complexity is blended. Speculoos, cinnamon and vanilla merge with remarkable oak, white raisin, roasted marshmallows, coconut, oats and maple. A hint of bay leaf and the slight flowery fragrances of honeysuckle and orchids add to the accretion. On the palate, brown sugar continues to dominate, added to oak, cherries and apples, spicy notes of vanilla, nutmeg and allspice; coffee, caramel and ketchup. Velvety but robust, Enigma coats the palate lingering with a clean sourness (not lactic), brown sugar, dry oak, vanilla and a whisper of smoke. I was not prepared for such a ride, but New Glarus has veritably produced an exceptional Flemish Sour. New Belgium’s La Folie seemed the invulnerable American champion of the style, but there’s room for contention!