Category: Sours and Wilds

Grimm Artisanal Ales – Purple Prose Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

IMG_2211All You Need to Know

Brewery: Grimm Artisanal Ales
Style: Wild Ale
ABV: 5.4%
My Cost: $14
Glassware: Tulip, Flute
Temp: 55°F (start at 45°F)
Availability: One Off
Purchased@: Hunger N Thirst

Quick Take: Purple Prose is a miss for me. The bitter, mineral seltzer finish just kills any positive vibes and leaves the impression of flavored mineral water. It’s an mf’er of a tart beer, but calling this a sour is overselling it. It’s gassy without the acidity and leaves an unpleasant feeling in the stomach. One of the biggest whiffs in recent memory.

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Allagash Brewing – Cuvee d’Industrial Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

Cuvee D'IndustrialAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Co.
Style: Wild Ale
ABV: 7.5%
My Cost: $25 (12.7oz)
Actual Cost: $12.99 (12.7oz)
Glassware: Flute, Tulip
Temp: 45-50°F
Availability: One Off
Purchased@: Good Dog Bar

Quick Take: This is a wine drinker’s beer. A gap filler to build the bridge between grape and hop, possibly bringing the non-tart beer drinkers into the fold as well. A contender and probable victor of my favorite Allagash beer ever. There really isn’t much else to say other than buy it on sight.

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Avery Brewing Co – Fortuna Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

FortunaAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Avery Brewing Co.
Style: Wild Ale
ABV: 8.1%
My Cost: $16 (12oz)
Glassware: Tulip, Flute
Temp: 45°F
Availability: One Off
Purchased@: Friendly Greek

Quick Take: Fortuna isn’t the best sour I’ve had, but it’s pretty refreshing and rises above the gimmicky inspiration. It has a salivating saltiness that makes you want to go back as your thirst is never quite satisfied. Cost is a concern and I can’t see me getting this over a kriek or standard sour, but great change of pace beer and absolutely worth it where cost is not a concern.

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Prairie Artisan Ales – Funky Gold Amarillo Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

Prairie - Funky GoldAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Prairie Artisan
Style: Wild Ale
ABV: 7.5%
Cost: $10 (500ml)
Glassware: Tulip
Temp: 45ºF
Availability: Limited
Purchased@: Nope – Bottle Share

Quick Take: Funky Gold is a mildly complex summer sour drinker that is worth keeping around for when the mood strikes. I could see returning to it when I want a refreshing sour hit without the acidic bite. The gassiness  and mid-range ABV keeps this  from being a sessionable beer along the lines of a Gose, but a single bottle over an evening seems about right.

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DBR Beer Year in Review (Part 1 – The Beers)

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

dbr 3Ah 2014, a year of much stuff, many things, and plenty of beer. It is the year that I transitioned from a purely video beer blog to a Web site featuring beer and brewery reviews, taking on a major commitment to the beverage that I love. This commitment will continue into the new year with plans for more brewery and event reports/reviews, plenty of thoughts on brews both new and aged, and a few new features I hope to get off the ground.

But now is the time to reflect on the beers of drinking past, and to that end I’ve compiled the list of my favorite beers of 2014. These are beers that not only impressed me with their quality over all other beers I had last year, but are the ones that I will be looking forward to in 2015 as well.

Continue reading “DBR Beer Year in Review (Part 1 – The Beers)” →