The Bruery Oude Tart (2014) – Flanders Red at 8% ABV (C$22.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 29-May-2014, acquired 27-Mar-2015, reviewed 5-Feb-2022)
Appearance: clear ruby brown with one finger of fine light beige head diminishing gradually to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tart cherry, leather, oak, tobacco. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, lively carbonation, tart slightly funky finish. (4/5)
A decent Flanders Red that seems to have survived nearly eight years in the bottle with no particular harm. A red wine / balsamic vinager-like, almost umami note dominates the front end, with barrel notes of oak and leather behind. There’s a light funky note that I don’t recall being present when it was new, but it might well have been. (16/20)
Unibroue Grande Réserve 17 (2014) – Belgian Strong Ale at 10% ABV (C$12.59 at Quarry Park Co-Op, 750 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2014, best before 12-Feb-2019, acquired 24-Feb-2015, reviewed 31-Jan-2022)
Appearance: clear deep amber with two fat fingers of frothy light beige head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: Belgian banana and cloves, caramel & toffee, oak & leather, dark fruits, tobacco. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering spicy warming finish. (4/5)
I did this one fairly soon after doing my other old vintage, a 2013, because the 2013 had definitely taken on negative characteristics as it neared a decade of cellaring. I figured I might as well catch this one before it did the same. But, it doesn’t seem to have any negatives at all: I’m not detecting any of the fading or mustiness I got with the 2013. I guess shouldn’t be surprised, because this one also wasn’t a gusher – maybe a cork failure in the 2013? A very pleasant slow sipper to wind down after a 14-hour workday. (16/20)
Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Black Currant Tart Saison – Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 25-Mar-2016, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 31-Jan-2022)
Appearance: clear ruby with a short fizzy pale pink head diminishing rapidly to a thin persistent ring, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: black currants, vinous grape, light earthy funk. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter, light funk. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short tart finish. (4/5)
Unlike pretty much every other Council offering, this one a) is not dominated by bready yeast and b) has clearly identifiable characteristics of the adjunct fruit – in this case black currant, though vinous grape skins are a close second. However, it’s still very much like the rest of their range in that it’s flavourful and has cellared well despite its low ABV. Tartly jammy currants and vinous notes make this very refreshing, if a little emphatically tart. And, I think barring accidental finds, this will mark the end of Council for me, so nice that it went out on a high note. (17/20)
Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Prickly Pear Tart Saison – Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 26-Aug-2016, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 30-Jan-2022)
Appearance: clear pale straw with a short fizzy white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, tropical fruit, melon, light earthy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter, light funk. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short tart finish. (4/5)
I wouldn’t know a prickly pear if it bit me, and as usual this is dominated by homebrew-like baker’s yeast. However, the more important way that this is very much like the rest of their range is that it’s flavourful and has maintained its character during extended cellaring. Tart and tropical fruit dominant, with a lively carbonation, making for an eminently refreshing drink. (16/20)
Council Brewing Co. Béatitude Guava Tart Saison – Saison at 4.5% ABV (C$19.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 14-Sep-2016, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 28-Jan-2022)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale straw with a short fine white head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: doughy yeast, zesty lemon, tropical fruit, light earthy funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter, light funk. (8/10) Palate: light body, lively carbonation, short tart finish. (4/5)
I’ve always thought that Council brews smelled like my uncles’ homebrew, i.e. baker’s yeast. (Yes, I have cool uncles who gave me homebrew beer when I was underage, jelly much?) I’m actually more than a little impressed that such a low ABV beer is both so flavourful, and able to maintain its character during extended cellaring. I mean, I suspected it would be able to do so, or I wouldn’t have cellared it as long as I did, but still: well done. I’ve always considered this brewery to be better than average, so I’m a bit saddened to hear that they’re out of business – but I’m not completely shocked, because their yeast was always the same, and always front and centre, and I get that not everyone appreciated that. On the other hand, this is a true Brett Sour that adheres to the stye guidelines for Saison (particularly, sufficiently low ABV that you can drink two litres of this per day while working in the fields) so that’s a major thumbs up from the pedantic me. I honestly don’t know if I could identify a guava to save my life, but this is definitely emphatically tropical fruit dominant. Bottom line: I might not always have completely agreed with your brewing choices, Council, but I mourn your passing. (16/20)
The Bruery Cuivre – Old Ale at 16.2% ABV (C$41.09 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 5-Mar-2015, acquired 11-Dec-2015, reviewed 25-Jan-2022)
Appearance: slightly hazy cola brown with one finger of fine beige head diminishing gradually to a thin cap and ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: vanilla, brown sugar, bourbon & oak, dark fruit, tobacco & leather, toasted bread. (9/10) Taste: high sweet, moderate bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky warming finish. (4/5)
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a beer so completely and utterly ignore seven years in a bottle. (I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that something stronger than your typical bottle of wine can still draw blood if it wants to.) Still deep and complex, with lots of barrel notes on an emphatic sweet malt bill. Definitely a slow sipper. (17/20)
Bruery Terreux Tonnellerie Rue – Saison at 8.5% ABV (C$19.01 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 29-Jul-2015, acquired 11-Dec-2015, reviewed 23-Jan-2022)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with a massive foamy off-white head diminishing gradually to a cap and ring, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: horse blankety funk, stone fruit, oak, hint of spicy rye. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high funk, moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: dry medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, lingering funky warming finish. (4/5)
Foamy bastard. They call it “wildly traditional”, but let’s be honest here, it’s not very traditional, is it? Lots of funky Brett notes overwhelm stone fruit and oak. Fun, but definitely not for everyone. (16/20)
Bellwoods Brewery Farmhouse Classic Brett Saison (2017) – Saison at 6.2% ABV (C$6.00 at Bellwoods Brewery, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 11-Sep-2017, reviewed 23-Jan-2022)
Appearance: clear straw with two fat fingers of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: horse blankety funk, lemon zest, stone fruit, leather, black pepper. (9/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter, moderate-high funk. (9/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, short mildly funky finish. (4/5)
Much better-behaved than when I had it fresh, more than four years ago: no gusher upon decapping, and in fact pretty nearly crystal clear, in contrast to its cloudiness then. (I guess four years is lots of time for the fines to settle out.) I’m not actually disappointed by the aroma as it stands, but I was very much hoping the Brett was going to become more emphatic. Instead, it’s pretty much exactly as I remember, no more, no less. The take home message there, I think, is don’t bother to cellar these, since they don’t actually improve. (17/20)
E9 Brewery / La Brasserie Trois Dames Le Visiteur (Batch 1) – American Wild Ale at 5.7% ABV (C$11.23 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 375 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 23-Feb-2018, reviewed 23-Jan-2022)
Appearance: clear ruby-tinged amber brown with minimal head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: vinous grapes, field berries, floral, light funk. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high tart, moderate sweet, low bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, lively carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (4/5)
“American wild ale with blackberry and nectarberry”. No idea what a nectarberry is, but it’s nice to have a true Wild instead of those horrible kettle sours that everyone’s doing these days. This one is very vinous, with red wine character overwhelmingly dominant over jammy berry and light wild funk. (16/20)
Unibroue La Résolution (2014) – Spice / Herb / Vegetable at 10% ABV (C$8.96 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, packaged on 18-Sep-2014, acquired 23-Oct-2014, reviewed 18-Jan-2022)
Appearance: slightly hazy deep brown with a short loose light tan head diminishing rapidly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: winter spices, caramel/toffee malt, boozy dark fruit. (9/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, mild bitter, moderate spice. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly syrupy body, moderate carbonation, lingering boozy finish. (4/5)
It’s been so long since I had an actual gusher, this one caught me a bit by surprise – but gush this one did, leaping out to meet me like a long-lost friend. Which, I guess, it sort of was? I mean, after serving a two-year house arrest sentence (so far), I can understand how this was so desperately happy to be out of the bottle after more than seven years. It’s actually pretty similar to the 2015 vintage I reviewed almost two years ago, when we thought this bullshit was going to be short-lived, and I blithely joked about the collapse of civilization. That didn’t age well, did it? All things considered, though, I think I deserve credit for waiting so long to drink this one. Oh, right, the beer: ummm… I dunno – continuing to lose a little structure with age, but still smells and tastes pretty great? Sure, let’s go with that, says the old guy… ladies… (16/20)
