Almanac Beer Company Farmer's Reserve Citrus

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 Citrus - Ale Brewed With Citrons And Oranges And Aged In Wine Barrels. I picked up this bottle at Cork 'n Bottle Liquors (here) in Fremont, CA. They have a great selection of craft beer as well as a number of beers on tap.  Add Cork ‘n Bottle to your list of craft beer destinations.

From the Almanac Beer Company website: “Citrus and beer have always made a great pair, ever since the first lemon wedge was added to a cold wheat beer. Here we expand on that tradition in a new way, melding the intensely aromatic zest of Buddha’s Hand citrons with the bracing tartness of Bergamot oranges in a sour blonde ale aged in wine barrels. Pair with sushi or flakey white fish or contrast with earthy roasted root vegetables.

Farm to Barrel

Our Farm to Barrel beers focus on the eons-old tradition of aging beers in oak barrels. This American wild ale was aged in used wine casks with our house “Dogpatch” sour culture, a cocktail of wild Belgian and American yeasts, including San Francisco sourdough starter. The yeasts slowly morph the beer from a traditional ale into something wild, creating a mild acidic bite as well as pulling oak and vanilla flavors from the barrel. After maturing, the barrels are blended together—creating a vinous, delicate beer that captures the essence of a particular harvest. Farm to Barrel Beers are alive in the bottle, and will continue to mature gracefully for several years.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden yellow with a nice slightly off-white head and good lacing.

Aroma: Citrus – predominately lemon, white grapes, yeast funk, sourdough and a very slight oak scent in the nose.

Taste: Tart citrus, bready malts, white wine, yeast funk and slight vanilla and oak.

Overall: Dry and tart, Almanac Beer Company Farmer's Reserve Citrus is another stellar offering.  This 7% ABV offering is crisp and very drinkable. I dig it!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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