Halcyon Barrel House Infinity Mirror American IPA at 6.5% ABV (Review bottle provided by Halcyon Barrel House, 750 ml, packaged on 2-May-2017, acquired 30-May-2017, reviewed 31-May-2017)
Appearance: opaque pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky white head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dry hay funk, tropical fruit, red wine, biscuity malt, wood, leather, floral. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light funky tart. (8/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, dry mild bitter and lightly funky finish. (3/5)
Disclosure: this review bottle was provided by the brewer free of charge. This is the first release from a new branch of Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, dedicated to wilds and sours: https://www.halcyon.beer/news/2017/5/25/infinity-mirror.
I read the brewer’s notes prior to opening this, and I was pleasantly surprised at how balanced the vinous red wine notes were. I’ve had red wine barrel aged beers before, and in my experience it’s easy for them to be utterly dominated by vinous woody notes. Here, however, the dominant aromas are a characteristic dry funky hay brett and sweet tropical fruit, with red wine playing a mild supporting role. The aromas are interestingly complex without being too busy, and there’s a light fruitiness on the tongue before the dry brett finish comes into play. Truth be told, I’m a little disappointed that I opened this as fresh as I did (it just showed up in the mail yesterday) because I think I’d enjoy letting the brett really dig in and get established in this – if I get the chance, I’ll pick up another for extended cellaring. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
