Embrace the Funk: Foudre Noire with Blackberry & Raspberry

Unusual fruit beer in a series of 'funky' ales created by Yazoo in Nashville, Tennessee; apparently fermented with Belgian and Norwegian yeast (the latter is kveik, I suppose), aged on oak and macerated with both blackberries and raspberries. Thin and open, off-white, tiny-bubbled 'ring' for a head, completely vanishing on an initally clear, deep burgundy-bronze beer with vermillion red glow and dark, tiny bits of fruit floating around here and there, with eventually large and unappetizing flakes of protein obscuring them, heaping up into a pile of 'slurry' on the bottom of the glass (as if some animal crapped in it, sorry to say). Aroma initially marred by something bacterial (manure, sewer) but when this retreats a bit - it never fully does - more charming elements appear: blackberry wine sauce on venison, vanillin and actual oak wood, stewed plum tomatoes which clearly represent the raspberries (always a bit tomato-like to me when used fresh in beer), red wine vinegar, some balsamico even, dry leather, plum wine, soggy brown bread, red cabbage kimchi. Sharply acidic onset, sour raspberries and blackberries for sure but pierced by an acetic, red wine vinegar-like sourness hindering drinkability a bit (but admittedly not that unusual for an American sour); sour fruitiness continues over a finely but very actively carbonated, smoothly edged but in all rather thin maltiness, thinned by the acetic effect. A certain nuttiness from the malts is there but somewhat meagerly so, with this vinegary sourness dominating too much from beginning to end; acquires a certain vinosity and more complexity in the finish, though, where the aromas of both fruit species unfold a bit more colourfully, evoking red plum and even a bit of apple too, pairing up with the warm oakiness of the 'foudre' - even exuding a brief whiff of vanillin. The alcohol, and this is definitely a plus for me, remains remarkably well hidden at this ABV. Ends as vinegary as it began, but in an admittedly lively fruity, red-sour-berry-like way. I know that the Americans like their sours a bit more edgy and this one certainly matches that trend, set out by the likes of Cascade, Logsdon and others, but coming from a bottle of Cantillon lambic, this really feels a bit harsh even for a sourhead like me; the acetic effect probably comes from Acetobacter or something alike and should have been avoided, or at least restrained, as it is of course hugely amplified by the natural acids in the berries. On top of that, the bacteria also added a 'fertilizer'-like odour which I cannot honestly call appealing. I am surprised at the high scores this creation seems to get here, but I possibly did not get to taste it in the best conditions - Nashville is a long way from Ghent, after all, and I can certainly imagine this being a lot more palatable when young and fresh close to its source. I can, however, only judge what I taste, and this one, though coming from an interesting idea, is just too 'bacterial' and acetic to be enjoyable. Too bad, but I will definitely give this interesting brewery another chance one day.

bottle. amber brown, small disappearing light brown head. tart and woody wild ale aroma with some fruity sweeter notes to balance the tartness from yeasts, it all builds up to a very complex slightly woody slightly fruity quite wild aleish but also quite rounded experience, almost also a bit sweet malty. even marzipan. flavor is extremely super sour and extremely super tart, most vineger is WAY sweeter than this, the most sour beer i've had for a while, given the aroma i'm a lot surprised, alc. is very well hidden, the sourness is extreme but very pleasant and not at all phenolic as it often can be. the sweeter notes are still in play but very faint, citrussy vinegar sourness is in force big time. if this should remind me of anything, it might be girardin black, it's as sour as a really really sour gueuze.

Bottle sample at a tasting at troubles' place. Thanks Stas. Red-amber. Vinegar, berries, wood, sour. Very good.

Draught, half pint. @Biercab, Barcelona (Spain). 14/10/2022 [#5.448 Global - #825 United States of America - #1 Yazoo Brewing Company (My Brewery #239 from the States)] Pours reddish with a thin white head. Aroma: full of red berries and wood. Tart. Taste: sweet berries, tannins and medium sweet. Not getting all the fruitness because of spicy food. Next one please!

Reddish brown colour with thin head. Aroma and flavour are tart and fruity. Blackberry is certainly notable. Well balanced.

Draft at BeerTemple, Amsterdam. Hazy brown with a tan head. Aroma of raspberry and tart dark berries. Flavour is light to moderate sweet and moderate sour. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.