OudBruin, originally released in 2007, is making a repeat appearance for Grand Teton Brewing’s 25th Anniversary Cellar Reserve series line-up. The Grand Teton Cellar Reserve series is the
epitome of what good craft beer should be.
The only downside is that the beers in the Cellar Reserve series suffer
from a limited distribution, and are often hard to find too long after the
release date. Periodically a bottle can
be found; I just picked up a bottle of Snarling Badger, the 2012 summer release
a month ago; and found a 2010 Coming Home last November. If you can find any of the Cellar Reserve back
catalogue in your local liquor store, it is definitely worth the purchase.
The
summer Cellar Reserve release is, like last years a sour beer that is meant to
be aged for the full sourness to develop.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t open it as soon as you get it, I sure
did. All that it means is that this beer
has some evolving to do in the bottle, yes this is a beer that you will want to
pick up a case (or at least a few bottles) of, try some now and age the rest. Good Oud Bruins are hard to come by and it
will be exciting to continue to try this one as it ages and becomes
increasingly sour and more complex. Although,
I really shouldn’t be jumping into the review up here, I am getting way ahead
of myself.
The
2013 Cellar Reserve release of Oud Bruin does not have an ratings on
Beeradvocate or ratebeer because it hasn’t been released yet. The previous iteration has an 81, with a 90
from the Bros on Beeradvocate. Over at
ratebeer, it has a surprisingly low 44 overall with a 5 for style. I can’t say I am too surprised by the
ratebeer rating because the ratings there are woefully inconsistent when it
comes to good beer. On to the review!
They Say:
2013 marks the 25th
anniversary of Grand Teton Brewing. In
celebration, we’re bringing back three of our favorite styles for this year’s
Cellar Reserve Series. Our Oud Bruin was
first brewed in 2007 and quickly became a brewery legend.
The “Oud Bruin” or “old
brown” style beers, brewed in & around Oudenaarde, on the Scheldt River in
East Flanders, are notable for their complex combinations of malt, long boiling
times (which provide caramelization of the wort), and multi-strain,
top-fermenting yeasts, some with lactic and acetic character. These are often “provision beers,” bottle-conditioned
for cellaring, to be brought out when they can be savored. Their thirst-quenching sweet-and sour character
makes them perhaps the most refreshing beers in the world.
Our Oud Bruin lies firmly
in the East Flanders tradition. We used
American 2-Row barley and German melanoidin malt (for red color) as well as
maize (to lighten the body). The wort
was boiled in the kettle overnight and hopped lightly with Idaho Galenas for
balance.
We fermented with a
Flemish blend of yeast and bacteria cultures, including Lactobacillus, Pediococcus,
and Brettanomyces. It took six months at
cellar temperature for the culture to achieve the style’s characteristic
quenching sourness. The beer is unfiltered,
so we expect the flavor to continue to develop and become even more complex
over the next two years in the bottle.
Because of its lactic and
acetic sourness, this is a wonderful beer for cooking and pairing with food. Unlike any wine, Oud Bruin complements
vinegary dishes such as salads or even pickles.
Its flavors will enhance those of shellfish, liver, rabbit, and game
birds like quail. The acidity of the
beer tenderizes beef and is ideal for braising—try it in the classic Belgian
Carbonade Flamande.
Original Gravity (Plato):
17˚
International Bitterness
Units: 17
Alcohol by Volume: 6%
Color (Lovibond): 23˚
Oud Bruin will be
available May 15th, 2013 in 1/2 and 1/6 bbl kegs and bottle-conditioned 750mL
cases.
Brewmaster Rob Mullin
adds:
Oud Bruin is still alive and changing in the bottles. Every week when we taste it, it continues to
evolve and change. It is considerably
different now than it was when we did the first batch of bottles. When we bottled it, it was very complex,
malty, and a little fruity, but probably not sour enough for an Oud Bruin. Honestly, I am a little nervous about what it
will be like when it is released on May 15th.
We used the Rosalaire Red yeast
blend, which is supposedly the Rodenbach yeast.
It is an excellent yeast blend that continues to evolve and reaches its
peak after about two years. In two years,
the Oud Bruin will be a very different beer, it will have a tart and sour
complexity while hopefully maintaining the malt and fruity ester complexity
that it currently has.
Oud Bruin Tasting Video from Grand Teton:
I Say:
Oud
Bruin pours a very clear brownish/cranberry red with a moderately thick light
tan head that holds excellent retention, lasting even until the last sip and
leaving behind exquisite, thick, Belgian lacing. The aroma has notes of raisins, figs,
treacle, toffee, a hint of sweet sherry, and a low level of caramel, rounded
out by a slight sourness at the back end.
As it warms, the aroma picks up an orange note. It has all the pleasant malt and fruity ester
complexity that is key to a good, solid Oud Bruin.
The
flavor is moderately malty with toffee, caramel and hints of milk chocolate. This beer has tons of complex fruity esters:
figs, dates, plums and raisins; as well as very low level spicy phenols, that
blend into the flavor well and a low to moderate sourness in the finish. There is a slight funkiness in the
aftertaste. Oud Bruin has a medium body,
with a moderately low level of carbonation.
This
is an excellent beer that will be moderately sour and refreshing this summer
and continue to pick up added complexity as it ages. I highly recommend that you pick up at least
a few bottles, one for now and two for aging.
I know that I’m going to be picking up at least three bottles, if not
more depending on the local availability and bottle limits. Check for it in stores on or after May 15th!
That’s
all for today, but be sure to check back later this week when I will have a
very cool interview with Rob Mullin, the Grand Teton Brewing Brewmaster.
Happy Drinking!!
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