This year’s edition of pFriem Family Brewers‘ Orval inspired brettanomyces pale ale features a slightly different strain of brett. Last year’s edition featured the Brettanomyces bruxellensis. This year, Josh Pfriem didn’t stray too far when he selected a slightly different strain of brett: Brettanomyces Bruxellensis “Trois.” The “Trois” strain is a proprietary strain that they’ve isolated. It provides some unique flavor and production characteristics that make it a good match for their brewing needs.
I decided to put a case of the first edition into my cellar as part of my cellaring project. I’ll be doing this on a more limited basis with this one. I’ll only put 3 bottles in and open one each at the anniversary of this review for a 3 year spread. You can read the reviews for the first edition of Brett Brux Pale Ale here.
This bottle was tasted on 3/16/2017. It was bottled 01/27/2017.
Appearance: Hazy gold, off white head, great retention.
Aroma: Peaches, apricots, mango, light pineapple, pepper, floral, nutty.
Taste: Fruity, lightly earthy, nutty, light pepper.
Overall Impression: The brett character is very soft, clean, balanced and dry. The excellent carbonation makes for a nice and creamy mouthfeel. This is an excellent homage to Belgium’s Orval from the team in Hood River, Oregon.
Availability: Limited and selling quickly.
6.9% ABV
You can read more of my pFriem Family Brewers reviews here.
