Thumbs Up!! "Elder Brett"

Image borrowed from www.letspour.com

Epic Brewing - Exponential Series: Crooked Stave Brewing X Epic "Elder Brett" [Saison-Brett Golden Ale | Malt  Beverage Aged In Wine Barrels] (22oz ---> Dogfish Head Curved Pint Glass : 9.1% ABV)

  I'm proud to say that I DEFINITELY overuse the "thumbs up" accompanied by an awkward "forced smile" in my day to day life… So when I saw the graphic of a gentleman in a shirt, tie and bicycle helmet giving that same motion, I had to give it a try… THEN, upon further inspection I realized it's a portrayal of a Mormon, and the (original) brewery is located in Utah - And THAT shit is fuckin' funny… I note that the "original" brewery is from Utah as they somewhat recently expanded into Denver, where Crooked Stave is also located... Now to the beer… 

     It poured seemingly light as a raging head formed and almost simultaneously left just as quickly as it had formed… It's extremely clear for what I've expected from a saison, but there's still the fair amount of carbonation that accompanies most beers of this style… The aromas rose from the beer before I even finished my pour, and the most distinctive being grapefruit and granny apple notes from a grigio… Underneath the wine aromas are a bit of sourness as well as some spices, possibly some cracked pepper and nutmeg… The sour/tangy element instilled (possibly) by the wine barrels is immediately present, with the granny apple tartness commingling with those flavors… On the back end of the palate, the oak barrels present themselves in full force!! The tartness of the beer makes the finish almost dry, but the oak barrels create satiny smoothness that balances out the finish in an AMAZING way, which compliments this beer stupendously… The mouthfeel on this beer is all over the place, the tartness makes it feel extremely light, while the oak barrels give it a fullness, creating a scenario where one compliments the other very nicely in a (now decidedly) medium bodied beer… Overall, this brew's complexity is a classy lesson in balance; in both flavor profile as well as bodily elements… The flavors hit an array of notes which guide your palate on a pleasant journey through the beer, from aroma to finish… Another great brew - Cheers!!

*I'd also like to give a quick shout to www.letspour.com for the image... The SD card with this beer's photo recently died, along with any contents not copied over... Thanks!!