Panil Barriquée (Sour)

bottle. Pours a very dark, cloudy mahogany with no head at all. The carbonation is sparse and slow. Aroma is nice on this: pleasant level of distinct lactic sourness, mild hints of ripe cherries, a bit of oak, and a subtle boquet of vinous notes. Given the description on the bottle (which I think conveys a very good attitude) I was expecting something harshly sour and overly dry, but this isn’t quite to that level. The beer is actually very tasteful, I’ve had a lambic or two that are far more sour than this, but is that necessarily a good thing? That’s certainly up to the drinker. What really impresses me is the way all the flavors meld together in such a flawless and unique fashion. The oaken notes are subdued, a tiny hint of biscuits can be detected, and stronger floral notes create an excellent backdrop for the sour, clothy taste. The finish is bit reminiscent of malt vinegar. Yeah, it’s certainly dry, but nothing that leaves me parched. My non-beer enthusiast roommate with fairly convential tastes even liked it. Good stuff.
[September 26, 2009]
Bottle from Hop City. Bottle 408, batch 10, reserva 2008. Pours brown with a decent head. The aroma is very sour with vinegar but not obnoxious. Light cherry hints are here with stronger oak. This is a delightful beer with clean balsamic vinegar, tart black cherries, muscadine, and strong oak notes. A vanilla sweetness is present, almost reminds me of bourbon, but the most prominent qualities are that of tasty, wild, sourness.

This is my perfect beer, and gets the only "5" I have ever handed out. Panil pours a reddish brown color with a small tan head. The aroma is incredible--great sour smells and a definite aroma of sour cherries. The palate is right on for the style with the perfect amount of carbonation. Taste is great! Lots of sour cherry flavor mixed with a great balance of dark wood notes. The harmony between the two flavors is a perfect marriage of tastes. This is one of the few beers that I really crave on a regular basis. ’05 Vintage. 5.0
Re-rate for 07 vintage. Not nearly as wonderful as the 05. The complexity just isn’t there, and the sweet cherry flavor has dropped out a ton. A big disappointment for me. 4.0

750mL, Bottled in 2005. Pours a hazy brownish red with a few light beige bubbles for a head. Strong aroma of oak, sour cherries and misc tart fruits, a little powdered sugar and funk. The sour cherries and oak are the strongest flavors--lots of acidity--and actually follows the aroma quite nicely--can’t say as I notice any sweetness at any point though. Mildly bitter dry finish. The alcohol is there if I dig deep enough. I don’t think there could be any less carbonation without it being flat--medium-full bodied and smooth. Excellent beer, my gf even loved it.

750 ml bottle, Map Room, Chicago. Looks good, like it’s supposed to (medium brown transluscent with mauve highlights, fluffy foam head with some big bubbles). Smells great: the acid and the wild yeast carry the day, with some pepper. Feels a bit weak in the mouth, could have more body or expansiveness of flavor. Tastes nicely sour, not as tart as La Folie or a geuze, more of the soft sour of Rodenbach. Unlike Rodenbach, it doesn’t have a dominant fruit character to carry the rest of the flavor; there’s a bit of plumishness and grape, maybe a bit of cherry, but the overall profile is much more earthy. This is especially true once the wood kicks in, which is the best feature of the flavor, an oak/toothpick touch that complements the sourness nicely. These opposing qualities linger in the finish, but not long enough. Very enjoyable; I’d say it’s almost the best "session" Flemish Sour I can imagine, if there can be such a thing.

’05 Bottle courtesy of trade with Rudolf: Pours amber with big bubbles. Nice barnyard aroma, with the smell of wet clay, cherry, and smoke. Flavor is sour and dry, with a yogurt like sharpness that is drying ending with a sour fruit burst. Truly a unique beer.

i love this beer browinish red. smells like sour cherry and hints of the cognac barrel. it tastes great perfectly sour with out tasting like vinegar. dry and thirst quenching. very nice.

Hazy dark orange, thick creamy off white head. Fantastic aromas of juicy soured cherry, oak, touches of vinegar, with soft funky farm tones, and an underlying citric earth wave. Nicely soured cherry bite up front thats very dry and tart. Bretty citric earthy flavors are present throughout the experience. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, soft sour, dry wood finish. Just awesome and worthy of it’s praise here...

Thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Bottle. Pours dark ruby, off white head. Aroma is port wine, cheese (musty), and alcohol. Flavor is very sour, musty and malt.