Judge’s Review: 84 Rating – Duke of Spenard by Turnagain Brewing

Flanders Red Ale | Year-Round | USA

By Joseph Formanek

Judges Rating: 84.00
Aroma: 20.00
Appearance: 4.00
Flavor: 36.00
Mouthfeel: 8.00
Overall Impression: 16.00

Duke of Spenard is a Flanders Red ale brewed by the good people at Turnagain Brewing in Anchorage, AK. While this brew does exemplify aspects of the style well, it does not exhibit the level of traditional flavor complexity typically associated with the best examples of the style, and actually displays some traditional lambic-like and other Belgian style characters. However, for this review, the brew is being evaluated as a Cat 23B Flanders Red Ale as per the 2015 BJCP style guidelines. 
The aroma has an intense sour cherry aroma that is well evident the moment that the bottle is opened. There is considerable nose-puckering acidity along with a brown malty sweet note in the background. It is a touch vinegary. I do not detect other characters like dark fruits or phenolics that are typically detected in examples of the style.  
The color is a hazy deep red or burgundy with only fair clarity. The head is white with small bubbles, but it is fleeting.
There is moderate tartness up front in the flavor, with an unexpected Brett-like barnyard flavor note in the middle and finish which builds in the aftertaste. There is a low to moderate brown malty sweet note backbone throughout, but the tartness and Brett character tend to dominate. The maltiness should be a bit more intense to balance out the flavors. The body is medium light with lower levels of carbonation and astringency, and the finish is quite dry with very little residual sweetness. This well prepares the palate for the next sip.
Duke of Spenard is an interesting brew, running the fine line between a lambic (with the acetic character) and a Flanders Red with the evident maltiness. It even has aspects of a Belgian Strong like Orval with the Brett. It is a quite refreshing brew, particularly if you appreciate a traditional lambic as I do. The complexity of the aroma is quite nice, but the overall flavor profile does lack some of the depth and complexity of the better examples of the style. The rating is going against the Flanders Red style – it really is an amalgam of a number of different Belgian styles as mentioned, and is quite interesting in its own unique way. Cheers and enjoy!