Alpine Beer Company Briscoe Lambic

Formerly brewed at Alpine Beer Company (CA)
Style: Sour Ale
Alpine, California USA

375ml bottle (the exact bottle pictured in the Ratebeer photo). Aged well past a year. The pour is a very lightly hazy golden hue that resembles the color of a Basque cider. Despite a vigorous pour, there’s just a thin head of clear bubbles with virtually no lacing. When chilled, the nose is soured and intensely vinegary, almost briny, with a twinge of pickle juice. As it warms, the oak emerges and the vinegary sharpness softens. The wood is buggy, though it doesn’t have that signature lambic farmhouse funk. Flavors are again based in vinegary acidity, puckering when the brew hits the back corners of the tongue. A touch of white grape sweetness shows in the fore of the mouth, while the oak imparts a dry, lightly funky woodiness throughout. The palate is very lightly carbonated, almost to the point of being flat. Additionally, it’s so vinegary that it is not really that refreshing. Overall, I’d call this lambic decent at best.

Bottle graciously shared by emacgee. Ethan is a good guy, no matter what Turdferguson says about him. Pretty flat pour... dark golden. Slightly hazy as I got some of the funk down at the end of the bottle. Nose is tart, acetic and phenolic. Sharp and sour with some rubber cement. Tastes similar to a lot of American attempts at the style. Taste is thin and a bit disappointing. Nice, but just not complex enough.

Bottle shared by emacgee - thanks, dude! Kind of a muddy orange-ish pour, thick with yeast and organic funk. Extremely sharp noise, with fruits and phenols blending in a way that recalls the Lambic de Hill on some level. Taste is okay, lots of acidity along with the oak, and you certainly get the vinous qualities. But there’s something weirdly lactic to it. Maybe just me. Overall not too complex, but enjoyable enough I suppose.

bottle shared by the Pantanap. pours hazy gold with no head. nose of vinegar, oak, vanilla, and white grape. flavors of lots of vinegar and vanilla character, sour and oak with a sharp acidic finish.

Thanks to DirtyMartini. Pours a still translucent gold. No head. The nose is funky, yeasty, fruity, tart and acidic, phenolic, smells and tastes like an unblended lambic. Flavor is fruity, yeasty, mildly tart and acidic, phenolic, some off flavors. Low carbonation and slightly tart on the palate.

375 ml bottle, via WeeHeavySD. Pours a hazy orangish gold body with zero head. Very minimal carbonation. The nose is super sour and funky with lots of vinegar, heavy oak, and some sweaty feet. As authentic as any American Lambic that I’ve smelled. Not as acidic as I thought on the flavor, but definately sour with lots of oak and wild character. This measures up with the likes of Cantillon almost. Reminds me of a softly carbonated Gueuze. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, tart, and very dry on the finish with very light fizzy carbonation. Lingering oaky funky finish. The most authentic Lambic that I’ve had from the US possibly.

Nice. Pretty simple sour overall but with some nice flavors. tart cherry, wood, some alcohol and sourness. Some faint juicy fruit and finishes clean and dry.

375ml bottle thanks to pantanap. Pours an orange yellow with no head. Sour apple cider vinegar nose with sugar that doesn’t balance out the acidity of the vinegar. Straight apple cider vinegar flavors with a touch of fresh fruit flavors but really harsh and acidic. Not the best.