Two years ago, Pfriem Family Brewers released their Brett Brux Pale Ale. Their homage to Orval, the classic Brettanomyces bruxellensis spiked Belgian Trappist ale, Brett Brux Pale Ale is an excellent tribute to the classic while not being a copy. Like its elder inspiration, Pfriem spiked the beer with the wild yeast Brett brux (to use its shortened name). Over time, the brett will change the beer from a hoppy Belgian pale ale with just a kiss of funk into an entirely different beast. Orval labels its bottles with a packaging date and a best by date of 5 years later. This project will age it just past the 5 year line. It was bottled on December 9th of 2015. I procured a case thanks to Josh Pfriem who thought this project would be interesting. Since then, I've tasted 4 bottles and now the 5th!
Appearance: Hazy gold, off white head, great retention.
Aroma: Earthy, mango, ginger snaps, bready, light citrus notes, zest, peaches,
Taste: Fruity, earthy, citrus notes, stone fruit, hint of pepper in the finish.
Overall Impression: With 2 years in the bottle, the brett's continued fermentation has created some exceptional bottle conditioning leading to a super creamy mouthfeel. At this point, the beer is quite soft with the flavors integrating into a complicated and mild funk. There are still some of the original malt characteristics, but the hops seem to have bowed out. So far, this one is developing nicely. The brett hasn't started chewing away the body of the beer, which can happen over time. It's just starting to reveal some more depth in its funkiness without going over the top. If you have a few bottles kicking around, I'd definitely recommend opening one at this point.
Availability: Sold out long ago.
6.9% ABV
The read the rest of the Brett Brux Pale Ale reviews, follow this link.
