Score: 96
April 30, 2013 vintage bottle served in a Only Void snifter and enjoyed on 08/22/13.
Appearance: Pours a lovely orange color honey color with less than a finger of white head that settles to a nice layer atop the glass. Spectacular lacing and retention. A wall of froth sticks to the side of the glass like a suction cup. 4.75/5
Smell: Juicy peaches, vanilla-y oak and hay/straw, rounded out by a dash of lacto and young, musty funk. The funk is very very subtle, and acts as a nice, soft accent to the aroma. The citrus juiciness is quite enticing, and practically triggers a salivating response. Notes of lemon zest too. 4.75/5
Taste: Really lovely and flavorful tart and juicy citrus upfront rounded out by barrel character and subtle funk. The lemon zest is more pronounced on the palate than it was in the nose. The peach/lemon combo hits you nice on the front of the tongue with a tartness that is lively, but not pucker-inducing. Then hay/straw on the midpalate, followed by oak and earthy lacto/brett in the finish. Has a nice lemony-peach brett flavored linger that is not intense, but sticks around nicely. The lingering flavor reminds me of a much more subtle and less tart, peach-infused L'Brett D'or. I really like how flavorful and juicy this brew is without being overly "intense" or wrecking the palate with harsh or extreme flavors. The complexities here are masterfully integrated, and the light funky character works well. 4.75/5
Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, low carbonation. Has a little zesty kick for being a saison, but it is not remotely pucker-inducingly tart. Juicy mouthfeel. This drinks like a delicious, fermented lemonade. 4/5
Overall: Another knock out sour from Crooked Stave, who is absolutely on fire right now. I enjoyed the base beer thoroughly, but this barrel treatment is a truly remarkable improvement. Seek this one out while you still can.
Cost: $10 for a 375 ml bottle.
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