Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs - (All Blends Through 2019)

Blanc de Blancs - (All Blends Through 2019)

 

Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, Missouri, United States 🇺🇸

  Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.80
ABV: 10.0% IBU: - Ticks: 29
Blanc de Blancs started as a Biere de Champagne malt bill that was fermented in Chardonnay barrels with Missouri grown Chardonnel grapes. The native Missouri microflora that was present on the grapes provide the sour depth and funky complexity of this wild ale.
 

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7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Blend #2, 375mL bottle drunk 2/1/19.
Pours a clear, brilliant, brassy-white-gold, leaving the sediment behind. White head is small but shows moderate retention.
Nose smells of strong mineral and grape skin with light sugars woven in beneath the surface and a good mix of Brett and lacto, the lactic element being considerably stronger as it often is in SP's sours. Maybe a bit aggressive still, overall, and I definitely think I would give this thing another six months, though it wasn't unenjoyable, by any means. I like the minerality that the bacteria and grape juice/skin provides. Alcohol is probably a bit dulling, overall, but isn't hot/sharp, at least.
In the mouth it's soft, with ever so slight syrupiness from the grape sugar and malt combination. Supple on the palate, with low but engaging carbonation and plentiful mineral-rich funk. Lactic acidity is moderate, could actually stand to have more to balance the sweetness. Alcohol is too much here, I think. I get that they are going for a champagne-like beer, but beer isn't champagne and the malt and grape sugar already add enough heft to the beer without needing the additional strength of the alcohol, which also creates dullness and works against the overall complexity and brightness, I think. Still, minor grievances overall, this is definitely an excellent beer and one that needs more time, it seems.

Tried from Bottle on 11 Mar 2025 at 16:36


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Blend #2, 375mL bottle drunk 2/1/19.
Pours a clear, brilliant, brassy-white-gold, leaving the sediment behind. White head is small but shows moderate retention.
Nose smells of strong mineral and grape skin with light sugars woven in beneath the surface and a good mix of Brett and lacto, the lactic element being considerably stronger as it often is in SP's sours. Maybe a bit aggressive still, overall, and I definitely think I would give this thing another six months, though it wasn't unenjoyable, by any means. I like the minerality that the bacteria and grape juice/skin provides. Alcohol is probably a bit dulling, overall, but isn't hot/sharp, at least.
In the mouth it's soft, with ever so slight syrupiness from the grape sugar and malt combination. Supple on the palate, with low but engaging carbonation and plentiful mineral-rich funk. Lactic acidity is moderate, could actually stand to have more to balance the sweetness. Alcohol is too much here, I think. I get that they are going for a champagne-like beer, but beer isn't champagne and the malt and grape sugar already add enough heft to the beer without needing the additional strength of the alcohol, which also creates dullness and works against the overall complexity and brightness, I think. Still, minor grievances overall, this is definitely an excellent beer and one that needs more time, it seems.

Tried from Bottle on 11 Mar 2025 at 16:35


8.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle, 375 ml at charity tasting Wien 2022. Shared with Miro B, Werckmeister and others. Cloudy golden with small white head. Quite Sour, vinous, funky, grapes. Tasty. Medium bodied.

Tried from Bottle on 29 Mar 2023 at 22:00


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle shared by a Werckmeister. Golden with a white head. Quite a bit of white grapes, some oak, some funk. Highly vinous. A bit on the tarter side.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Sep 2022 at 22:13


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Rerate 18.09.2022: 0,375l bottle shared at charity tasting at home. yellow clear color, small white head. Smells funky, grassy, bit vinous. overall good smell. full body, soft carbonation. Tastes vinous, earthy, grassy, honey, peppery. Finishes light to medium sour with notes of grass, peppery and honey notes. heavy, boozy, good but too heavy.

8, 8, 7.5, 7, 7.5

Tried from Bottle on 18 Sep 2022 at 09:01


7.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle at share. Cloudy white wine looking pour. Aroma and taste are white grapes. Sharp tartness, sweet

Tried from Bottle on 03 Apr 2021 at 20:04


8.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

375ml bottle pours out fizzy white head. Nose is nice big white grapes funky barrel notes. Taste is more of the nice white grapes funky grapes great

Tried from Bottle on 03 Apr 2021 at 19:33



9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

Bottle @ Himmeriget, Copenhagen. Pours hazy orange with a small white head. Aromas of grapes, tannic, funky, chardonnay, citrussy, sweet barrel notes, zesty, citrussy, lactic. Taste is lemony, funky, vanilla sweet barrel notes, vinous, grapey, oaky, lactic. Side project going in hard with these!

Tried from Bottle on 06 Nov 2019 at 16:55


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Taster showing straw with sparse quickly dissipating foam. The nose shows lightly intense notes of foxy white wine. The palate is well carbonated and medium bodied. Sharp acidity throughout, highly tart, with overly tart white wine throughout with a mild bitterness on the finish.

Tried on 23 Sep 2019 at 04:34