Synopsis Red Fruits

Synopsis Red Fruits by Area Two Experimental Brewing was judged as BJCP category 28C — Wild Specialty Beer (with fruit). The beer is presented to me in a stange glass, filled high, at 44 degrees Fahrenheit. The red-amber color is full blush, and shows some haze along with a modest foam stand that lingers a bit before subsiding. The beer is obviously well-conditioned by the constant beads of tiny gas making their way upwards. I’m met with aromas of yellow/tart peach and raspberry mixed with medium lactic acid sharpness and light mineral-aspirin notes; modest residual sweetness lingers below, providing a nice balance. The flavor up-front is fruit, with tart notes of raspberry and cranberry mixed with a clean and bright lactic tartness that last a long time into a late sweet-tart fruity late palate. Possibly, just possibly, I pick up some currant in the setting sun of flavors. The conditioning is very high, accentuating the tart and sharp finish. Overall, I think the beer is very good as a wild fruit beer: quite tart, with limited but enticing sweetness and the hint of Brettanomyces pepper. The beer straddles that line of tart but not sour, expressing both fruit and a mild wild fermentation character to produce a nice sour fruit beer. I could drink this beer on the beach in Bali (in between body-surfing stints, mind you) and probably be quite happy.