Score: 91
2014 vintage bottle served in a stemmed Schramm's snifter and enjoyed on 03/05/14. Review is from iPhone notes
Appearance: From the second the bottle was opened, this beer gushed like none other. Within ten (10) or fifteen (15) seconds, we lost seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the bottle to the carpet. Be forewarned; have a bucket ready when you open yours! Pours a murky brownish-red color with yellowish fade towards the edges. Not much head or retention. Very cloudy/murky in appearance. 3.5/5
Smell: Smells like your run of the mill sour brown ale with a nice grape twist. Lots of vanilla and oak, vinegar, cherry, and red grapes. Some yeast too, and a little funk. A touch vinous. Graham cracker too as it warms up. As the beer warms up, the aroma increasingly approaches a cherry-grape pie quality. Above average integration. A little PDO at first, but not much and it fades out as the beer breathes. 4/5
Taste: Tart cherries and oak, with a little vinegar toward the finish and an underlying grape flavor. A bit dank for a sour. Mildly bitter finish, good tartness. Some graham crack in the finish too. A sugary-tart grape flavor lingers. Nice integration. 4.25/5
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, good carbonation. Tart, dry. Has a nice sweetness to balance the tartness too. 4/5
Overall: Good, but not great. De Garde makes better beers, but this is a solid example of their deep line up. It is basically a well-made flanders-style beer with a heavy grape twist. I would definitely drink this one again if given the chance, but would not go out of my way to acquire it.
Cost: $14 for a 500 ml bottle.
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