Stumbled across this at Summits Wayside, Woodstock, GA, USA last week and was delighted to see it. I thought that I was going to miss out on this brew, but happily got to catch up with it by chance.
Served in a Gulden Draak tulip, the beer sits with a brownish-red body and a small head that disappears quickly. Better lace than I was anticipating.
Nose and tastes do a great job of replicating the style nicely, but at the same time give a degree of accessibility that is somewhat unusual for this style (hence the high drinkability score). Light vinegar in the nose and a delicate sourness on the tongue at first. It’s fairly one-dimesional to me, but that’s OK since there is balance with a touch of tart fruitiness/fruit skins in there too. Obviously some tannin character too with a dry, tea like ending.
To me this is a beer which doesn’t do much other than what the style demands (a good thing) and also remains approachable. It’s the kind of beer that I *think* could be used as a crossover, or at least an opportunity to introduce a non-craft beer person to a dramatically different style without scaring the life put of them. Don’t get me wrong, it IS a beer that would scare some, and I know it’s generally not a style that can act as a gateway brew, but in the grand scheme of the style it’s very approachable.
The way I would describe it is accessible but authentic – not an easy thing to pull off with this style. Good job as usual by Ommegang.