Casa Agria Specialty Ales - Faja de Oro

What: A mixed fermentation sour wheat ale [3.2% ABV].    

How we Had it: Out of a 750 ml bottle into a wine taster glass.

What we Saw: A pale yellow hay colored beer.  A light amount of white foam quickly dissipates to almost nothing; nonetheless, bubbles continued to rise from bottom of glass throughout.

What we Smelled: Beautifully inviting and refreshing nose.  Citrus predominates with lemon, and grapefruit at the forefront.  Reminiscent of sour patch kids.  A soft barnyard funk sits behind the citrus fruit creating a second layer to the nose and displaying complexity.  Notes of melon were present as well.  As the beer warmed the citrus became even more pronounced.

What we Tasted: Tart citrus was front and center as the aroma initially suggested.  The tart yet reserved sour character was very enjoyable.  As with other examples from the brewery, and even at 3.2% abv, the body of the beer was substantial.  This created a wonderful vessel for the tart citrus character of the beer. The noted flavors followed what was detected in the aroma of the beer in perfect order.  Balance and restraint really allowed the beer to shine.

What we Thought:  This beer was incredibly refreshing and enjoyable.  While only 3.2% abv, the mouth feel and body of the beer were substantial and created a beer that could be enjoyed by the pint on a hot summer day or with a nice dinner.  As with other beers I've had from Casa Agria, that mouth feel is silky and body heavy on the tongue.  In my opinion, this is fantastic.  In Faja de Oro, balance and purpose are key features.  The aromas are beautiful and the flavors play with each other in harmony.   The surprise for me was the presence of melon in the aroma and taste of the beer.  While not dominant, that melon character continued to present itself in the background throughout the entire glass.  Casa Agria has presented a wonderfully easy to drink beer which displays complexity on all levels.   For food pairings, consider oysters - the brine and salt would play nicely with the tart citrus of the beer.  

Green Bench Brewing For the Mad Ones

What: Rye Sour Brown ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels; 8.0% abv

How we had it: Out of a 500 ml bottle into a stemmed wine glass

What we saw: Beautiful brown tones with a hint of red/purple.  Crystal clear and very clean looking beer.  Very little foam and little to no lacing.  

What we smelled: Big wine notes are prevalent followed by some oak.  Very dry smell - like sticking your nose into a glass of a big cabernet sauvignon.  The sourness of the beer is also present on the nose - a crisp and refreshing character to round off the rustic wine barrels.

What we tasted: This is a very complex beer!  Up front, the cabernet sauvignon is present, followed by a huge amount of oak.  The beer changes throughout your palate, providing a different experience with the beer as you take each sip.  The big oaky cabernet flavors up front are reduced to a smooth, clean, sour (not too sour) finish.  The finish being so soft and smooth leaves you wanting another sip, while the sourness of the beer makes your mouth water. The pepperiness from the rye is soft and adds a subtle complexity and another layer to the beer that will hit you in the middle of your palate.  The brett is not present as funk and instead adds a nice layer of complexity and allowed for an incredibly dry finish to the beer.  Clean, complex, peppery, fruity, sour. 

What we thought:  We loved this beer.  It had so much to it that we found that every sip presented us with a different experience.  There was layer after layer of flavor and smell.  As it warmed, the cabernet character became more prevalent but the sourness, provided by the kettle souring process, gives a really refreshing back end to the beer that balances the very big, rich flavors that you first experience.  There's just so much to this beer - the immediate visual of the beer, clear and clean is off set by the massive oak and wine notes which are complemented by the rye, and then you are presented with a sour, dry finish that actually matches the visual of the beer in the glass.  Do not expect funk here!  This beer was never meant to be funky and we liked that about it.  For a full explanation of the beer, its name, the process behind how it was made, and a visual; watch our conversation with Khristopher Johnson, the head brewer at Green Bench - we talk about For the Mad Ones at ~30:00 in.

Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs

What: Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs (10% abv) [Batch 1 (released 9/24/14)].  A biere de champagne fermented in chardonnay barrels with chardonnel grapes.

How we had it: Out of 375ml bottle into a side project stemmed tulip.

What we saw: A hazy orange/gold color.  Little to no head on the pour and fades almost immediately leaving only a ring of white bubbles hugging the glass.  Held against a white back drop the color turns more to a straw yellow.  The beer screams farm to us.  It's a really pleasant beer to look at and get you excited to see what's coming.

What we smelled: Immediately you're hit with a really nice fruity tartness - so much so your mouth will begin to water.  The tartness is followed by a slight sweetness, presumably from the white grapes.  Just like a nice white wine, a slight minerality is picked up on the nose too; almost like a blend between a slight oak chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc.  A bit of oak comes through and as it warms just a bit, you'll pick up some funky cheesy notes.  A really nice nose on this beer and very complex.

What we tasted: Wow!  Immediate tartness refreshes your palate and makes your mouth water.  White grape is prevalent throughout, playing into the tartness up front all while providing a residual sweetness that balances the beer out.  Let the beer sit on your tongue a little while and get ready to grab that beautiful sour grape.  The beer seems to coat your teeth and tongue.  The body perfectly balances the flavors and leaves you craving another sip.  The oak comes through in the finish which reminded us of a really delicate dry champagne (hence the name).   Almost like drinking a funky, barnyard champagne - awesome!

What we thought: This beer is absolutely fantastic.  For those lucky enough to have gotten a bottle of this extremely limited release, count your blessings.  The best part about this beer was the complexity on every level, beginning with the look of the beer, the nose on the beer, and ending in the taste.  Each sensory experience topped by the next.  We drank it on its own to really experience the subtleties and nuances of this wild ale but could really see this as a beer you could drink with an assortment of cheeses.  Some cheeses we would recommend are a fresh goat cheese, a creamy brie or a funky Camembert.  The acidity from the beer would really cut through the fattiness of the cheese and play together nicely.  On that same note, this beer would go great with some very savory foods like caviar, lobster, scallops, foie gras, or curried dishes.  An all around beautiful representation of the style and worth the difficulty in getting a bottle!