Review: Black Bridge Eclectic Cherry Mixed Fermentation Ale

Thanks Greg for sending me a bottle of Swift Current, Sask's Black Bridge Brewery's Eclectic Cherry Mixed Fermentation Ale.

From the label: The beer is unfiltered, sediment in bottle is normal, fermented and soured with Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus. Bottled on Feb 5, 2020 and is 6.2% ABV.

Appearance: The label pretty much matches with the appearance of the beer itself, unless if you hit in certain angles of light. This ale pours a very cloudy dark raspberry red with a bit of a watermelon pink hues at times. There's a light amount of sediment floating around but not as much as I was expecting. The head is fairly light with a light beige hue to it - diminishes to pretty much nothing except a few bubbles here and there.

Aroma: Mild amount of tartness in this ale - bit of cherry. There's a bit of an aroma that I can only describe as nuts n bolts, it has a sweet, savoury and slight nuttiness to it.. I don't know how to describe it really. The cherry also has a bit of a sweetness to it, there's also a bit of a barnyard funk to it but it's fairly subdued compared to many mixed fermentation ales out there. At the end I get a bit of lemon and a hint of grassy hops.

Taste: Decently tart with notes of sour cherries and the mixed fermentation taking place in this beer. There's a bit of a barnyard funk to give off a bit of a saddle like presence, a bit of woodiness and a hint of grain. Light hint of vinegar, a light hint of grass, not much for grain. The mouthfeel is carbonated and tart, while the aftertaste is a bit of a tart cherry and lemon presence with a bit of yeastiness that quickly diminishes from the palate.

Overall Thoughts: Decent sour ale, it wasn't overly mixed as I was expecting.. I was expecting a lot more notes of barnyard funk and the light, which was there but faintly. This had a tart cherry presence, hint of lemon and has a decent amount of carbonation. The aftertaste disappears pretty quickly, which is a bit of a surprise.

No comments: