Review: Sierra Nevada/Russian River Brux
Alright, here it is! I was just too excited to try this to wait any longer.
Presentation: Boy, was there pressure under the cork of this. It was pretty difficult to take off, but when I managed to pull it out a huge pop exploded out of the bottle. As pictured, this was poured into a tulip.
Appearance: A nice golden color with a huge head that dissipates fairly quick. There was absolutely no lacing left behind.
Aroma: The aroma is great. There is a wonderful bouquet of a little funk, vinegar, apple, pear, spice, lemon and only a tiny bit of Brett. The citrus and fruit elements are definitely the major players in the aroma.
Taste: Okay, I really hate to say this, but the taste is somewhat underwhelming. Don't get me wrong though. This tastes pretty damn good, but it's just not up to snuff for a wild ale. This is more akin to a saison right now and certainly needs more age. I'm glad I tried this fresh, but it's just not there yet. Having said that, the taste basically mirrors the aroma, but certain parts of the bouquet are muted. I pick up the pear, apple, a bit of lemon and spice. There is only a slight tartness and the Brett is certainly much more hidden in the taste. I feel like it's only noticeable if you're looking for it though. It also becomes pretty warming as it reaches room temperature.
Mouthfeel: It's not quite thin, but it's not medium bodied either. There is tons of carbonation that bites the tongue. A pretty crisp beer.
Overall: This beer needs age. This can't be stressed enough. The tartness isn't there at all and the Brett needs time to develop. I'm gonna wait another year on the other bottle and see where it goes. As a fan of sours, this kind of let me down. Thankfully, I love saisons, which this seems to resemble more so I suppose I give it a 4 out of 5 with all things considered.
- Jeff
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