Arbor Brasserie Greff Brune

Brewed by Arbor Brewing Company Pub & Eatery
Style: Sour Ale
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

Sampled from a 750 mL bottle at the brewery, dated September 2005. I was warned this batch was overcarbonated but ordered a bottle anyway. Murky orange-red-brown body, thick (the waitress was right) light tan head. Apple cidery. Some sourness in the aroma, but mostly tannic, with hints of cherry and dark fruit and a touch of vinegar. Tannic body with light tartness but nothing too sour, and little in the way of balsamic vinegar. Spicy hints, bitter finish. Referencing Rodenbach set this beer up for failure, as the strong tannins dominated the sour touches in the background. Combined with the emphatic carbonation (which continued to spill from the bottle even when it was half-gone), the lackluster flavor gave the impression of a regular beer that had been infected rather than a beer that was supposed to be infected. Disappointing for a $12 purchase.

750 ml bottle puckering in the mouths of MartinT, tiggmtl, Rastacouere and myself. Massively foamy at first topping a deep muddy magenta...sour/bitter tannic/vinous nose, lightly cherry-inflected...very sharp and sour throughout, bitter grasses and sour fruit, barnyard, heavy and thick almost to cloying (but without sweetness). Somebody said "Flemish sour with IPA bitterness thrown in" and that about hits it. Powerful and intense but hard to drink...glad I had others to share with.

Woody aroma has notes of cinnamon and plenty of cherries. Opaque brown with decent off-white head that recedes to cover with some lacing. Very sharp flavour is extremely coarse and unrefined. Tart, herbal, bitter, tannic and slightly boozey with a crisp, dry finish. Some alcohol warming. Fluffy texture in the mouth with very airy carbonation. Improves with each sip.Huge sweet/sour cherry aroma with extremely intense barnyard character and some light minty undertones. Hazy reddish-brown with decent, off-white head that recedes to lasting cover with some lacing. Sweet cherry flavour is short-lived and fairly clean. Barnyard re-emerges in the aftertaste. Fine bubbled carbonation is engaging on the tongue. Enjoyable if perhaps too short flavour-wise and perhaps somewhat simple. Bottle enjoyed with MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

The Lure:
The subtle tartness of sour cherries is emboldened by the lively carbonation. Pine sap is also introduced by the eccentric artisanal aura.

The Festivities:
Big-bubbled burliness imparts a sharpness to the vinous and lemony splashes. Wood clings to the roasted malt bitterness, creating a gum-drying effect in the long run. A Flemish Sour of Wallonian descent it seems.

Transcendence:
The exportation of indigenous treasures is truly beneficial to those who care.

Cloudy dirty brown. Mountainous sticky head. Bold for an oud bruin, quite earthy, but it does feel belgian and lets the cherries come through very diplomatically rather than juice like. Chocolate and dandelions accompany earth on the palate. It becomes extremely dry, mineral, grassy yet malty. Foamy texture. Very tart, pretty good, but I found the flavor development to be a bit too linear and not so clean. A courageous attempt that tastes strong than it is.

Wonderfully ruddy. Looks the part. Smells fantastically of dark cherry skin, even stones, minerally. Great malt sweet and sourdough to accompany the cherry and pepper aroma. The limestone, brackish water, cherry, deep blood and iron flavoring are fine initially, but with warming and the yeast pour there is a cardboardy, filmy presence. I found it not as bad as TAR, but I understand where he’s coming from. I applaud what’s happening at Arbor these days - very experimental.

Shadowed cedar. Dense and sticky ivory foam with frothy clumps. Alluring bouquet of medicine-soaked black cherries and musty yeast. Sweet bready malt structure touched with brettanomyces and toasted oak nuances. Tight, creamy, fluffy carbonation. Firm, ample body with a gritty mineral texture. Wild yeast flavors pave the way for rich cherries and staunch minerals. Mild phenols and oxidation cut the medicinal cherries. Slightly tannic, unsweetened chocolate center coupled with a faint iron twang. Harshly chalky, resoundingly grainy finish, like sinking your teeth into a chunk of concrete while chewing an unripe persimmon, yet with some salvaging leather notes kissed with musty minerals, sweet, husky malts and plump, underlying black cherries. Very attractive aroma and early flavor profile, but the finish is borderline nauseating. Still very nice, considering…