“Amber is a blended, barrel aged Australian Wild Ale. Blend #12 is a blend of four barrels. 1733 (6 month old Amber), 1746 (5 month old Amber), 1748 (7 month old Amber) and 1754 (7 month old Amber).”
Glassware: Snifter.
Appearance: Amber with a touch of red. The pour only manages a short and loosely held cap which peels back to the rim. A wet lace drag is left on the glass as we imbibe.
Aroma: Smells nice and funky. Kind of dank and cheesy with subtle tart citrus that are offset by a light toasty character, caramels and a well rounded oak profile. We keep picking up what appears to be dried cocoa powder and oats which makes this aroma somewhat unique. Undertones of berries and cellar musty-ness to boot.
Flavour: Typical sour/tart citrus and bretty/lacto funk to the fore. Slightly dry and musty oak giving rise to subtle cocoa powder and delicate caramel sweetness. Just a flutter of acetic citrus peel leading to a finish with abrupt acidity but prevailing toasty and woody oak tannins in the tail.
Mouthfeel: Relatively light on, effervescent and acidic. The 6% ABV plays a good support role without overdoing it. Mild-medium Co2.
Overall: Personally we rather the amber sours over the gold. In saying that though, there really isn’t a lot of contrast between this blend and the ones before it. We’d love to see these guys get a bit crafty with some fresh fruit. If not for fun then at least for a bit of distinction.