Terroir Pinot Noir

Terroir Pinot Noir by Alesong Brewing and Blending is a wild fermented farmhouse-style beer brewed with grape must and is being evaluated as a Wild Specialty Beer (category 28C from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Wild Specialty Beers are “sour or funky versions” of specialty beers (fruit for this example) and can be aged in wood. Terroir Pinot Noir is fermented with Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces yeasts among natural yeast and bacteria with a second fermentation with Pinot Noir wine must in French oak barrels.

This beer pours reddish-amber in color, slightly hazy, with a very quickly fading pink-colored head. The aroma is moderate red grape with complementing vanilla and a funky light lactic acid and leather. The mouthfeel is moderate lactic sourness with a high carbonation and a light grape skin astringency. The flavor is light red grape with a moderate sourness finishing with a light vanilla and leather character. The sparkling red wine character of this beer is very intriguing but the acidity, high carbonation and light tannic astringency may be a bit overwhelming for all but the most dedicated sour beer aficionados. Serve in a champagne flute.