Beer of the Week! 11/03/20

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Hey! You got your sour saison in my wine barrel!

Lagunitas Sonomica

Regularly $13.99 / Now on Sale for $12.96
Red Wine Barrel-Aged Sour Saison

A lot of the sours that you run into out there are soured by lactobacillus bacteria. Sometimes brewers age the beers in infected barrels, sometimes they shoot the bacteria right into the boiling kettle. It’s a quick souring technique, it can be less expensive than the alternative, and so you see it a lot. What’s less common is an ale that’s soured from fermentation by the Brettanomyces strain of yeast. Belgian brewers will age their beers in barrels to mitigate the sourness from the yeast. That’s time for aging and cost of the barrels, but the process can yield and rounder and more complex sour experience.

Far away from Belgium, in Petaluma, CA, Lagunitas Brewing Company takes that process and adds an additional wrinkle. For their Sonomica, they make a Saison ale with Brettanomyces, and then they age it in Sonoma red wine barrels. Now, such an ale may surprise you coming from the hop demons like Lagunitas. However, anyone who remembers the sublime beauty of their Farmhouse Brett Stout (also using Sonoma red wine barrels) will not be surprised. Like the Brett Stout, the Sonomica is a joyous ride. You’ve got the bitterness of the Brett rounded out with barrel-aging and seamlessly complimented by the red wine notes.

It’s always nice to see people resolve to do things the hard way and get good results.

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Brew-activism in effect.

Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause we all need a little something special right now.

Champion Waterboys

Regularly $10.99 / Now on Sale for $8.96
American IPA

There is nothing more essential to life than clean water. Waterboys was formed by Charlottesville native and two-time Super Bowl champ Chris Long to build wells in communities around the world who desperately need access to this life necessity. In brewing the collaborative Waterboys IPA we strive to do a small part by making annual contributions from proceeds of this beer. All we need from you is to buy and enjoy this life giving IPA. Who’s up for the challenge?

6.1% ABV • 63 IBU

Pilsner, Vienna, oats

Huell Melon, Mosaic, Simcoe, Summit

Tasting notes: Cara cara oranges, lime zest, fresh spruce tips.."

  • Champion Brewing Company

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