This is the second to last bottle of the case of Brux I laid down just over 5 years ago. Who knew where this journey would take me? I wasn't even sure I'd still be blogging when I started this project, yet here were are over 5 years later and I'm still writing and tracking the progress of this beer. This was the first beer that start my cellaring project: The Brux Project. Now I've added in several different beers and honed in the process. Now with the new site, I've added in better tracking options for myself as well as curious readers. I've tasted through 11 bottles over the last 5 years! There's only one bottle left.
Maybe I should plan something special for that last bottle... I have an idea, but let's see if I can pull it off. Either way, this has been an eminently rewarding project and experience.
For a quick recap of this beer for those just joining us, Brux Domesticated Wild Ale is a collaboration beer between Sierra Nevada Brewing & Russian River Brewing. It's a Belgian-style golden ale that was bottle conditioned with the Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast strain.
Appearance: Hazy orange, beige head, poor retention.
Aroma: Spicy, peppery, mango, vanilla, earthy, woody, unripe bananas, caramel.
Taste: "nilla wafers" crackers, caramel, dirty tropical fruit, peppery finish.
Overall Impression: The beer has developed a real Brett "bite" on the finish. Although the head retention is poor, the beer is still nicely effervescent. At this point with beer is exceptionally bone dry, but not thinly dry as can happen with Brett beers. After 5 years, there's still no real appreciable oxidation. Nicely balanced, the beer is tasting quite good with a good mix of flavors, balance, and brettanomyces notes. If you have a bottle or kicking around still I'd say now is a good time to open it. We'll see what another 6 months does to this beer for the last bottle!
Availability: This beer was brewed once just over 5 years ago. If you find any anywhere, it will be an anomaly.
8.3% ABV
The Rest of the Brux Reviews
