Here's another vintage beer, drawn from the bowels of the D'Vines storage unit - a 9.59% ABV wild ale brewed with sour cherries. Called "Depuceleuse", it's fermented using Brettanomyces yeast, malted barley, Rocky Mountain tapwater spring water, and finally aged in Zinfandel casks with production limited to 463 cases, or 5,556 12oz bottles.
Oh, and it's also over a decade old, bottled in March 2010, BUT - unlike some vintage beers that I've tried, I'm a bit more optimistic for barrel-fermented wild ales. Why? Because to start, wild ales often have funky yeast strains, many of which are quite hardy and work their magic in the bottle. This is called bottle-conditioning, and while it doesn't explicitly say this beer is bottle-conditioned, it still stands to reason that beers like this may have ongoing processes that keep the juice inside fresh.
But there still is the chance it could be vinegar since I don't know other variables related to storage.
Cracks open OK - good hiss from the bottle. I gently pour it, because old beer should be treated with care as to not disturb any sediment which has accumulated.
Wow. It's bloody good. No joke, it's like a traditional, proper lambic. This ale is super soft with a moderate amount of gentle sourness, a definite funk (from the Brett) and a silky-smooth consistency. Flavor notes are predominately of dates, with some pungent spice, wood, raisin sweetness and a good dose of malts. Finish is somewhat short, with a tang.
Damn, I'm impressed at how well this held up. Fans of lambics, true sours, and barrel-aged ales would rejoice at the taste of such nectar. I'd definitely have this again, and you can buy one for yourself at D'Vines for $17.99 per 12oz bottle.
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