Almanac Beer Company Farmer's Reserve No. 4

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Almanac Beer Company Farmer's Reserve No. 4 - Ale Aged in Wine Barrels with Cara Cara Oranges, Meyer Lemons and Buddha's Hand Citrons. I picked up this bottle at Caps & Taps in Dublin (here).

From the Almanac Beer Company website: “This tart, citrus-infused wild ale is the story of a farm. In 1921, Shotaro Hamada founded Hamada Farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Today, his grandson Cliff manages 235 acres of bountiful land. Brewed with a tantalizing blend of Hamada’s winter citrus—tart Cara Cara Oranges, sweet Meyer Lemons and fragrant Buddha’s Hand Citrons—this refreshing ale is aged in used wine barrels for over a year.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy pale yellow with a nice white head and lacing.

Aroma: Sour and tart citrus, spice, pale malts and yeast funk.

Taste: Sour, funky, tart and citrusy.  Meyer Lemons, Citrons and Oranges shine through with each sip. Light malts and spice are layered beneath the bright citrus flavors. The barrel aging gives a nice wine flavor from start to finish.

Overall: Crisp, refreshing and extremely drinkable, Almanac Beer Company Farmer's Reserve No. 4 is a very nice sour.  At 6% ABV I could see drinking a couple of these on a nice summer day.  This was my first Almanac Beer Company beer and I can tell it won’t be my last.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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