Lagunitas Brewing Co. - "Sonoma Farmhouse Brett Stout"

I saw this 22oz bottle a while back, and fondly recalling my 2018 trip to Sonoma and to Lagunitas, I picked it up. It's Lagunitas Brewing Co.'s "Sonoma Farmhouse Brett Stout", an 11.00% ABV imperial stout aged in Sonoma County red wine barrels. Barrel-aging using ex-wine barrels is often used with whiskeys, commonly and more specifically Port and sometimes Madeira, but it also makes an appearance in the beer aisle. I was hoping to find out from which winery these barrels were sourced; sometimes they'll tell you - if they partner with a particularly famous winery, or source the barrels from some exotic location. But alas, no information was to be had.

Also, of interest - the use of Brettanomyces yeast here. Most often you see it used in lighter beers, so curious to see how it would behave in a stout. 

Pours a thick khaki head, but dies away quickly. Some funky aromas in there, a little chocolate, too. 

Holy crow, this is winey. Very strong red wine character, something along the lines of a beefy, heavy California Cabernet Sauvignon. Very full and silky, this stout develops strong notes of pepper, earth, wood, and cocoa. As it warms up, the wine character gets even stronger, tasting a bit sweet almost. I'm having trouble fully appreciating the Brett, but I presume some of the earthy / peppery flavors are the most direct result. Finishes nicely, with some more of that sweetness. I should note the high alcohol content, which is hidden quite well. 

I very much enjoyed this. For $11.99 per 22oz bottle, it's not super cheap, but worth it. It's an interesting take on a stout, and if you like red wine and heavy, smooth dark beers, look no further than this! Perfect for this chilly weather.