8 Wired Brewing Company Gypsy Funk 2016 Dry Hopped Barrel Aged Pale Sour Ale Sour / Wild Ale at 7.5% ABV (C$12.62 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, bottle date 1-Aug-2016, acquired 13-Dec-2016, reviewed 10-Jan-2017)
Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of rocky white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: Brett funk, wet hay, vinous white grape must, lemon, stone fruit. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, moderate funk, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, prickly carbonation, dry lingering tart and funky finish. (4/5)
As I’ve come to expect from 8 Wired, that is some serious shit. I very deliberately chose my lineup of tonight’s sours to end with this one, having high hopes for a true barrel-aged sour from one of my favourite breweries – and I was not disappointed. This very emphatically illustrates the difference between boring kettle sours, and true barrel-aged sours. Complex, fun, and interesting – and the high ABV never shows itself, at least not until the room starts to get a little wobbly. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
