“14 months of barrel aging has highlighted the toffee and caramel notes in this Belgian Brown ale, which was then rested on acorns and oak leaves. Gentle licks of acid lead you across the forest floor in this one!”

Glassware: Stemmed tulip.

Appearance: Gorgeous deep amber hue with a thin veil of fizzy head atop. Real stunner. Posts a neat set of rings as it subsides.

Aroma: One thing strikes us immediately…the magnificent balance. As the reasonably sharp lacto sourness greets the olfactory’s so does the light and sweet malts which bring a mix of caramel/toffee, woody notes and as the label sums up perfectly – forest floor. Getting mixed berries, dried leafy herbs and sherbet as well. Excellent depth and complexity.

Flavour: Oh wow this is interesting. It leans more on the brown ale side with the sweet and sticky malts just getting its nose in front. Acidic jabs of vinegar and lemon are nicely fused through. Sour apple, toffee and earthy dark fruit then move in to a kinda dry and funky finish with woody notes on the rear.

Mouthfeel: Well rounded, mildly acidic. A little sticky at times. Pucker rating hits a respectable 3/5. 7% ABV fairly well buried.

Overall: Unsure whether DB were late releasing this or we’re just late to the party. Either way we’ve missed the brilliance of Parlay over the past 6 months. Solid stuff, as always!