Space Skull Ascendant

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/light copper color with a 2 finger dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Great thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tart lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, green apple, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berry, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, floral, grass, caramel, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, citrus/tropical hops, oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, green apple, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berry, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, floral, grass, caramel, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tartness, yeast/oak tannin spiciness, and herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, apricot, green apple, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berry, white wine, pepper, oak, hay, straw, floral, grass, caramel, toasted bread, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, citrus/tropical hops, oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness and bitter/spiciness balance; with zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/sticky/tannic, and lightly silky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is an awesome barrel-aged dry hopped sour ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, citrus/tropical hops, oak barrel, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly acidic/tannic/drying finish, never overly lactic. Really awesome Brett complexity with balanced citrus/tropical hops; great oak barrel presence and malt backbone. A really enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example.