Montmorency vs. Balaton
(has 3 batches)
Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas, United States 🇺🇸
Sour / Wild Beer - Flavoured Rotating|
Score
7.86
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Montmorency vs. Balaton is our barrel-aged wild ale re-fermented with Montmorency and Balaton cherries. These distinct cherry varieties that are sourced from our friends at King Orchards in Michigan lend their own unique flavor to the final beer. We create a blend of mature barrel-aged beer, add the cherries at a very high ratio (5lb. per gallon), then let the fruit re-ferment to total dryness. To us, we feel "MvB" has a perfect blend of bursting pie cherry flavor and aroma, dry drinkability, and elegant tartness.
Balaton® is a registered trademark of Michigan State University.
Balaton® is a registered trademark of Michigan State University.
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8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into signature tulip glass; Blend 5, bottled in 5/2018. Pours fairly hazy deep reddish orange/amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy pink head with poor retention, that reduces to nothing eventually. Minimal spotty lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with light notes of leathery/musty Brett funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Amazing aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with light notes of leathery/musty Brett funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tartness, tangy fruit, and yeast/oak spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderately crisp finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tang/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth and moderately grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6.1%. Overall this is an amazing fruited sour/wild ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and refreshing to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; not overly lactic/tannic. Amazing balance of super juicy/jammy cherries, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; great oak presence, and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing top tier quality style example as expected.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Jul 2019
at 21:34
8.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
On tap at Arrogant Sour Festival 2019. Pours red with pinkish head. Juicy with loads of berries and cherries. Funk, some oak, vinous, nice fruity tartness. Medium acidity. Medium bodied.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Jul 2019
at 18:45
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
500ml bottle. Fantastic, cloudy purple colour with small to average, frothy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, minimally pink-ish, white head. Fruity and funky yeasty aroma with an oaky touch, notes of cherry, morello, hints of raspberry, a (red) vinous touch. Taste is tart, fruity, slightly dry woody, hints of residual sweetness, notes of cherry, morello, hints of raspberry, some oak, a touch of red wine, mildly funky overtones; gentle, minimally prickly carbonation. Superbly balanced, very refreshing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Jul 2019
at 19:31
8.1/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle at BeerTemple, Amsterdam. Hazy pink purple with a ring pink head. Aroma of rich cherries, fresh, tart and sweet. Flavour is moderate sweet and sour. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
at
BeerTemple
on 23 Jun 2019
at 10:06
8/10
Kersenpit en marsepein, hoe fijn kan dat zijn
Tried
from Bottle
at
Brewpub De Kromme Haring
on 22 Jun 2019
at 11:10
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Refrigerated 0.5 L brown bottle from wchesser poured into a glass. Translucent red with medium light pink head. Aroma is cherry, medium/light body, medium carbonation, and a little lacing. Taste is tart some what light cherry and dryer finish. Hoped for richer cherry.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 May 2019
at 00:10
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
MBCC 2019. Funky, tart and sour with loads of cherries, berries and farmyardy yeastiness. Pretty good.
Tried
on 15 May 2019
at 18:21
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
Tap. Hazy pink color with white head. Aroma is light cherry, yoghurt. Taste is super nice cherry funk, but not too much of it, earthy-leathery as well. Dry finish, mineraly mouthfeel fizzy-ish carbonation. Great stuff!
Tried
from Draft
on 14 May 2019
at 13:15
8/10
Tried
on 10 May 2019
at 13:04
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Rød uklar skum hvid Bær blomst korn gær Bitter lidt sur modtate Cremet
Tried
on 10 May 2019
at 10:13