Blend #2 bottle at SPC, 10/29/15.
Well, it sucks that you can only get a 750mL of this to drink on premise, but I didn’t come all the way here to not try this beer, so looks like I’ve got a whole bottle to myself. Oh woe is me....
Careful pour shows a bright apricot colored liquid that is sparklingly carbonated creating an off-white head that is well-retained. Good clarity to the liquid, leaving the sediment behind.
Damn, that is a fine, fine aroma that would turn a smile on the face of the best fruit lambic producers....It’s both funky, with nicely understated sulphur notes painting a very barnyard-esque picture, and polished, with reserved but ample oak character, homogenous acids and clear, bright, wonderfully authentic apricot notes. I’d be hard pressed to believe that this would score less than Fou Foune in a blind test, at least based on the aroma. No alcohol or flaw in the nose. Magnificent.
Oak and apricot at once square off in the flavor but before either can emerge dominant, a strong malt presence, both supple and sweet, arrives. Very rich honey notes balance poignant acids both from fruit and bacteria. Plentiful apricot flavor is garnered from start to finish and light oak dryness, coupled with soft funk and more gentle lactic acids sit on the end.
Tight carbonation and a supple maltiness make for a wonderfully soft, lightly spritzy mouthfeel right up there with the best lambics. The only thing I found at fault here was just a bit too much strength. It’s reflected in the above average sweetness and overall rich maltiness. It certainly never gets messy or boozy, but at the same time, the 8% is definitely felt. Even shaving off 1% abv here would work wonders, I think, but as is, this is still one hell of a beer.

Light rubbery apricot nose. Heavy apricot taste with hints of dry wood and funk. Hints if apple cider vinegar. Tasty...