Beers #89-109: The Sour & The Funky

I was able to get to one event in celebration of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2013 - The Sour & The Funky tasting at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington (Sat Apr 27).  In light of my poor performance in April, I was eager to enjoy as many sour and funky beers as possible.  I arrived shortly before 1pm to check in. The tasting was run festival-style, with participants given a wrist band and tasting glass for ~2-3 oz. pours from taps and bottles.  It was very laid back, and the majority of my conversations were with Dan, a fellow RateBeer member from Pittsburgh.

Here goes ...

89/365: Bullfrog Jong Bruin:
Nice Flemish sour brown and oaky aroma. No hops. Tart and funky. Dark brown clear with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Tart sour brown ale with oak and funky notes, not quite cheesy. Wonderfully acidic and fruity, with smooth tart aftertaste and a bit of lingering sweetness.  Sour Red/Brown  78/100

90/365: Draai Laag La Pienture:
Estery with alcohol and isopropanol notes. Fruity and vapory. Dark brown hazy with foamy-creamy off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium smooth carbonation. Starts a bit sweet with nice oaky notes. Cherries and alcohol, finishing with cherry and oak. Smooth after. Nice tart fruit beer.  Lambic-Fruit  80/100

91/365: Bullfrog Pomme Par Jour:
Mandarin oranges, pears, and a light funk note. Apple must, yeasty. Light golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with apple notes, light chalky notes, and hop bitterness. A hint of Calvados. Finishes musty and bitter.  Fruit Beer  64/100

92/365: Allagash Interlude:
Light Brett nose but not overpowering. Bit of oak and hint of tartness. Hazy amber golden with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet with underlying funky-Brett and tart side. Oaky notes with neutral fruit, with light bitter finish. Ends with some carbonic tang and underlying bitter funky quality.  Belgian Strong Ale  76/100

93/365: Bullfrog Aggro Wheat:
Fresh fantastic hop nose with hint of spice to it. Underlying sweetness, grassy. Pale straw with light hazy and very thin head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and a ton of hops, not funky. Light overall, with a medium bitter finish and chalky after. More of a hoppy ale than sour or wild.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  80/100

94/365: Petrus Aged Red:
Smells like cherry Sucrets - dark cherry and woody notes. Dark blood-red clear with thin light-pink head. Medium-thick body with medium carbonation with some fizz. Starts sweet with cherries and brown sugar sweetness. Underlying bitterness and tannic quality at the finish. A little too sweet for my tastes.  Sour Red/Brown  68/100

95/365: Anchorage Whiteout Wit Bier:
Smooth yeasty Brett notes, sweet. Subtle nose by very nice. Cloudy straw-white with thin white head. Medium body with light carbonation. Starts yeasty and Bretty with sweetness and a hint of light funk or tartness. Tasty and smooth.  Belgian White (Witbier)  76/100

96/365: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse:
Watery funky nose with apricot and pear nectar notes, light Brett funk. pale straw clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Medium tart beer with light sour-funk. Notes of pear and apricots. Tart but not as sour as other Berliner Weisses I’ve tried. Light, refreshing, and overall, a little watery.  Berliner Weisse  60/100

97/365: Cisco Island Reserve Pedaler Blueblerry Bleer:
Mild funky notes with predominant notes of blueberries, fresh and musty aromas. Light tang and medicinal funk. Dark blue-reddish hazy with thin pink lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays tart with lots of berry flavor. Musty and bitter with blueberry sour finish, light chalky acidic after. A bit of BandAid in the after, but not bad.  Fruit Beer  68/100

98/365: BRUX Domesticated Wild Ale:
Pretty mild nose, light Brett and neutral fruity funk and some honey. Cloudy golden amber with white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with mild Brett and light honey, caramel. Not much funk to this one. Perhaps needs to age a bit? Belgian Strong Ale  62/100b

99/365: Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura:
Sour Coco Wheat! Funky and chocolatey nose with hints of coffee and molasses. Muddy coffee-brown with thin cocoa-colored lacing head. Medium body with silky carbonation. Tart stout with tons of cocoa powder and wonderfully tart finish. Smooth.  Stout  74/100

100/365: Uinta Crooked Line Birthday Suit - 20th Anniversary:
Nose of sour milk and lavender. Tart and smooth. Dark brown clear (like root beer) with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Like Hawaiian Punch and apricots, sour and tasty and easy drinking. Almost like a fruit juice with carbonic tang. Smooth tart after.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  78/100

101/365: Oude Gueuze Tilquin a l'Ancienne:
Sour, Bretty, horse blanket and leather. Funky, sour, and sublime. Hazy golden amber with thin white head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sour, sour, sour. Brett, acidity, and funky leather. Dry, tasty gueuze that I could drink all day. Funky, sour, tasty, and refreshing. Sublime.  Lambic-Gueuze  86/100

102/365: Green Flash Rayon Vert:
Nose of BandAid and Brett, carbonic tang. Hazy golden amber with foamy white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts medium sweet and dry with tons of Brett and light BandAid. Pale malt and carbonic acidity. Really carbed up, surprised these aren’t bottle bombs. Smooth tangy finish with light Brett, dry after.  Belgian Ale  74/100

103/365: Russian River Sanctification:
Mild tart nose with good Brett notes, yeasty and aromatic. Pale golden hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and stays sour with tons of Brett and sour-funky notes. Carbonic acidity, with sour and Bretty finish. Nice one.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  80/100

104/365: Goose Island Madame Rose:
Tart fruit and cherry, vanilla and oak. Nice aroma. Dark brow-amber clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Nice cherry sour and Bretty funk. Smooth and tart. Oaky with vanilla and light chocolate. Delicious.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  82/100

105/365: The Bruery Rueuze:
Funky and Bretty and sour. Nice wheaty funk. Very traditional profile. Cloudy golden pale with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Tons of Brett and funk, with acid reflux sourness. Delicious and reminiscent of traditional versions. Nice sour gueuze that I would drink a lot of.  Lambic-Gueuze  82/100

106/365: Rodenbach Vintage (2010):
The aroma of Grand Cru, oaky and sour with soy and vinegar. Dark reddish-brown hazy with thin off-white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Sweet, oaky, tart, and sugary. A bit of cherry, light oxidation. Beany sweet finish with light soy tang.  Sour Red/Brown  72/100

107/365: Goose Island Matilda:
Nice funky nose, sweet with a bit of vapor and light woody notes. Mild Brett. Medium golden clear with light haze, topped with big fluffy head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts light sweet with caramel, honey, and a bit of funk. Yeasty with alcohol vapor and honey. Light sweet funky after.  Belgian Ale  72/100

108/365: Telegraph Reserve Wheat: 
Medium wheaty nose with a bit of sour character. Cloudy pale with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sour Brett notes but overall a bit watery. A decent level of sourness but not assertive. Wheat-lemon after.  Berliner Weisse  58/100

109/365: Voodoo (HTP) Hail to Pitt IPA:
Wonderful fresh hoppy nose, floral and bright. Mild sweetness. Pale dull golden clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Huge hoppy profile throughout and mild sweet character. Big hop flavors from start to finish. Big hoppy finish with bitter lasting after.  India Pale Ale  66/100

Whew!  All in all, a really nice tasting. Well run and laid back with a lot of great samples to try.  I'm still behind in my tastings, but a little closer now to being caught up.  I look forward to getting back on track, and in particular, I am excited to get back to this year's Pints For Pets Brewfest in Altoona on May 18.