Vintage Funk Final Chapter
Brues Alehouse Brewing Co
Our Impression: There was a time where we had around 40 spirit and wine barrels, filled with various styles from lambic to imperial stout. We now have zero barrels. This lambic is the very last from our barrel ageing program! Our barrel ageing room has been converted into a brand new bakery, so it will likely be in 2024 when we start our barrel program back up. The good news is that this final rendition is, in our humble opinion, the best yet. It's wonderfully refreshing and tart with a lovely balance of complex funk and fruit. It's an excellent sour for the summer, and easy on the eyes as well with its pink-red hue. The bad news (for us brewers) is that the goods coming out of the new bakery will completely make you forget that we even brew beer.
Style: Fruit Lambic
Grain: Pilsner, Wheat
Hops: Hallertau Mittelfruh
Yeast: House Yeast, Brettanomyces
Bacteria: Lactobacillus, Pediococcus
Adjuncts: Whole Tart Cherries
Water: Reverse-Osmosis Water, with light additions of CaCl2
Original Gravity: 12 Degrees Plato
ABV: 5.2%
Estimated IBU: <5 IBU
Color: 3 SRM
Aroma: Tart cherry combined with barnyard “horse blanket.” Yes that sounds weird, but fear not! Brettanomyces, a “wild” yeast strain, produces complex esters that range from cherry pie to horse blanket. This is typical of traditional Belgian Lambic styles.
Appearance: Pours slightly hazy with a pink-red hue.
Flavor: Acidity is the backbone of any sour. Like traditional Lambics, Vintage Funk exhibits a complexity derived from acid producing bacteria and wild yeast. The acid plays wonderfully with fruit, which is the reason why the most famous Belgian lambics are blended with cherries, raspberries, or peaches. Vintage funk begins with a punch of cherry and acid, and as your palate adjusts you begin to note the light oak, horse blanket, and hay.
Mouthfeel:Light body, mouth puckering, with medium carbonation.