Cuvée Freddy
(has 2 batches)

Trübes orangegoldenes Bier mit einer geringen weißen Schaumkrone. Geruch leicht säuerlich fruchtig, rote Früchte, sehr malzig. Geschmack leicht säuerlich fruchtig, rote Früchte, holzig, gering alkoholisch.

Säuerlich fruchtiger, trocken rauchiger Antrunk. Mild herb, Kirschen, steigende Säure. 10/11/12/12//12

Keg at borefts. Pours murky brown, nose is funky, oak, toffee, fruity, taste is dry, funky, fruity, bitter.

Tap at Borefts. Murky brown with beige head. Light sour red fruits, peach, overripe berries, light wood and hay, strawberries. Light sour and bitter. Under medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. 7

Update 2021: still not my favorite Alvinne but nicely balanced and good complex fruits. Pretty good.

2015 bottle, assumedly, at OEC SourFest, 8/15/15.
Light mahogany brown body shows good clarity and a small, beige-yellow head with moderate retention.
Pretty crazy process they got going on here...the description says a sour ale aged on grapes, then blended with Podge and oak barreled and finally re-blended with Podge before bottling....There is some grape-like fruitiness/tartness in the nose, with sticky caramel, vanilla, toffee and prunes. I like MOST of these things in a stout (even if it’s a Belgian stout) but not grapes....I pretty much never want my dark beers to be grapey. Other than that, mild wood and chocolate emerge with warming but there’s a vague damp earth/damp leaf character overtop of it.
The flavor certainly shows the stout, though it’s quite thinned out, leaving the chocolate, light roast and vanilla mixed about with sour acids and some simple, sweet malt character. It’s oddly endearing, and not bad, despite definitely trying to do too much. What I don’t like, which has nothing to do with the process for this beer, is the heavily earthy, borderline dirty character I get from a lot of Alvinne beers (Podge included). I don’t think I like their yeast at all (Morpheus undressed was undrinkable, I thought).

Bottle from Boise Coop. I was hoping the oak barrel aging would be more noticeable, but can’t really detect any traces, other than the sour palate being slightly subdued. Dark brown pour with minimal head. Aroma and taste are pure sour, pit fruit sweetness. Taste is more raisins, plums, apricots and a hint of vinegar tartness. Mild finish.

Red currant, oak, cranberry nose. Cloudy maroon, thin tan head. Currant with a definite cocoa presence from start to finish. Quite tart, velvety, medium body. Quite good and the price I paid was not bad at all.