Tag Archives: oak barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Fated Farmer – Concord Grape

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel fermented wild ale. Hops – Aged Hops. Malts – Valley Wheat and Valley Pilsner. Adjunct – Concord Grapes

Brewer Description: (from website) Our Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing our foundational vision for Trillium: Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.

Presenting a gorgeous burgundy color with crimson highlights, Fated Farmer: Concord Grape offers a bold and lucid aroma of Welch’s grape juice. As the glass opens up, notes of Merlot, raspberry jam, and hints of blueberry offer supporting roles. Finishing dry, with a well-rounded acidity that rides upon a light and effervescent body, this is a distinct addition to our Fated Farmer lineup.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 21st January 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy copper amber colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, bubblegum grape, mixed berries, oak, with some light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, bubblegum grape, oak, raspberry, blueberry, with light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high prickly carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable aroma and flavours as I love bubblegum grape, but the high prickly carbonation was distracting as the mouthfeel was a little uncomfortable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Fated Farmer – Apricot

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel fermented wild ale. Adjunct – Apricots

Brewer Description: (from website) Our Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing our foundational vision for Trillium: Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.

Bottled in March of 2019 and enjoying an extended period of bottle conditioning, Fater Farmer: Apricot presents a bright, light straw color in the glass. Pretty aromas of peach mist, apricot preserves, lemongrass, and a kiss of pineapple weave in and out across the palate. Medium-bodied and highly refreshing, this wild ale finishes with structured acidity.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.83
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 28th March 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw golden colour, with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, apricot, funky notes, with a touch of pineapple.
Taste: Sour, tart, apricot, light funk, with slightly boozy notes coming through.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with prickly high carbonation.
Overall: Sourness is a bit intense and carbonation too high, to fully easily enjoy.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Fated Farmer – Black Currant

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel fermented wild ale. Hops – Aged Hops. Malts – Valley Pilsner and Valley Wheat. Adjunct – Black Currants

Brewer Description: (from website) Our Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing our foundational vision for Trillium: Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.

Fated Farmer: Black Currant pours a deep plum color and wastes no time in presenting it’s complex, vinous bouquet of aromas. Notes of bold, structured red wine, blackberry preserves, and red grape are the highlights, with underlying earthiness in the background. Dry and slightly tannic, Fated Farmer: Black Currant finishes with vibrant, mouthwatering acidity.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 2nd May 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A maroon burgundy colour, with a one finger purple head, that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Oak, black currant, and Ribena.
Taste: Lightly tart, black currant, Ribena, mixed berries, oak, with a spicy acidic back end.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking and enjoyable. It’s like alcoholic carbonated Ribena, which totally works for me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, de Garde Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

de Garde The Law of Winter

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Brewery: de Garde Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels for three years with cider apples, vanilla beans, cinnamon, allspice, ginger & orange zest. Bottled still.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.91
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. corked and capped bottle, bottled still in November 2019. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden colour with only a minimal white head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, apple cider, vanilla, orange zest, almost perfumy, with a splash of cinnamon on the finish.
Taste: Sour, tart, apple, cidery, grapefruit, orange, funky, oak, vanilla, perfumy, with some light spice notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with very soft carbonation.
Overall: Interesting wintery holiday aroma and flavours. But I think that the combination especially of orange zest and vanilla was perhaps too perfumy for me. It was mostly fine on the aroma, but too much on the flavour. The apple cidery notes were good though.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, de Garde Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

de Garde Ivy

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Brewery: de Garde Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels for two years.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. corked and capped bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A very slightly hazy golden orange colour with a big two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, funky, musty, damp wood, citrus, lemon zest, lime, wet straw.
Taste: Sour, lightly tart, funky, hay, oak, grapefruit, honey, stone fruit, peach, lime, citrus peel, light bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Balanced and enjoyable with good aroma and flavours.