Pentagram, early kegging of the still-maturing Surly Five. Brettanomyces yeast and pinot noir barrel-aging in a brown ale. Hey this sounds like a Rodenbach.
Advance tapping courtesy of me, because.
The photo is not indicative of the beer's appearance at it's peak. I should know tonight, since I poured over 100 glasses. Yikes.
Murky brown, nearing black, with ruby tints at edges, …got a big head on first pour, but it slims down to a tight brown ring.
Perfect funky/wild/sour aroma, very reminiscent of Flanders Reds. Slightly sour cherry & grape notes, plum & raisin, blackberries.
Taste: sharp, sour snap right up at the top, big puckeration, small bitterness. Sears the tongue and palate with twisted fruit flavors, nice brown ale buttress below. Holy heck, this is good, and is sure to make the soreheads drool. Wonderful blend of the barrel and the yeast. Excellent mouthfeel, great grippoing texture. Raisins and port wine character begin to dominate the flavor, along with sour cherry and grape. Malt feels richer further in, all in all, the various parts pull together to create something sublime. Lovely, lovely stuff that is tasting better as the glass empties out.
I would love to swim in this, or at the very least, take a bath in it.
Here's to five years! Was it all working up to this?
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