5 Barrel Brewing BA Flemish Red

Rating:

48389426_1001870636663748_7839580754299322368_n“My first exposure to a Flemish Red was one of intrigue. It was like no other beer I had ever had before. The depth of flavour evident in this beer comes from the blending of a mature 18-month old barrel with a younger, more youthful beer. The act of blending smooths out some of the rough edges and allows the rich malt character to develop on your palate with some familiarity. The acidic bite is strong, yet approachable and finishes with a lovely funky quality.”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Works its way from burnt orange to a kind of rusted red/brown. Nice pillowy head which persists. Laced reasonably well.

Aroma: Tangy cider and vinegar notes with spicy pepper, cigar box, plums, woody oak, farmyard and tart berries/cherries in support. We’re getting a real manky cheesy character from it….hints at dirty old socks and sweaty horse blanket. So wrong but so right!

Flavour: More of a funky/tangy sourness upfront moving in to mixed berries, red fruits, cider and plums midway. A hint of caramel sweetness getting amongst it as well. Sharp-ish red wine vinegar develops late and helps shape the dry, tannic and fruity finish with lingering oak accents on the rear.

Mouthfeel: Rather light on with a somewhat soapy texture. Carbonation is mild-moderate. Just feels like it’s missing something though.

Overall: We’ve been impressed by 5 Barrel’s barrel aged sour range. At the moment the cherry sour is way out in front. This one hits its mark but fell short of wow-ing us. Not a bad offering.