Perennial Artisan Ales Merna

LOC: St. Louis, Missouri ABV: 7% | IBUS: N/A | SRM: N/A

What the brewer says

“A mixed-culture ale brewed with lots of wheat and gently hopped to give the yeast-and-bacteria culture the ability to be fully expressed. Aged for 8 months in oak wine barrels, then packageconditioned. Pours golden-orange and has a sweet-tart/funky aroma rounded out by the oak presence.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Stewed fruit and oak barrels with spicy phenols, slight vegetal character. Behind that there’s orange and pineapple and a bit of bready malt. Lightly sweet, some alcohol notes.” Flavor: “Pineapple, citrus, orange. Sour. Tartness, low sweetness, no bitterness. Some smooth sweet malt.” Overall: “A tart and acidic glass of white-grape must that is balanced by some oak-soaked vanilla. The combination of flavors works okay and creates an interesting result. Just a bit of vinegar/acetic acid adds depth but may go a bit too far for some.”