Bullfrog Beekeeper

Formerly brewed at Bullfrog Brewery
Style: Sour Ale
Williamsport, Pennsylvania USA

25 oz bottle, finally rating this beer, from the BCTC Bullfrog tasting. I’ve had this numerous times but kept thinking that I’d rate it later, well my stock has run down to a single bottle and it’s about time. Pours a slightly cloudy reddish tinged brown body with a nice two finger frothy off-white head. The nose is quite vinous and oaky with a perfect level of wild yeast funkiness and acidity. Quite a bit of Cabernet wafting out of the glass, I’m not that huge into wine, but it’s pretty clear as to what kind of barrel this was in. The flavor was equally vinous with a very nice level of acidity that really brought out the Cabernet well. The wildness of this attests to the lengthy aging it underwent at the brewery. The hefty oak on the finish enhanced the wine-like experience even further. Mouthfeel is dry and lighter bodied, presumably due to the full attenuation, with nice slightly fizzy carbonation. Very very nice, my highest rated Bullfrog.

Bottle bought at the brewery last summer. Only bought one, stupidly. Pours medium brown with red highlights, thin wispy head. Tons of wine barrel in the nose. Fruity and a bit sweet, definitely bretty, but wine and wet wood are the biggest players. Flavor is immediately tart and sweet, much like the Blue Cheer. A vinegar presence, like a Flanders Red kind of hurts this one. I have a feeling this one has peaked. Great brewery, but surprisingly this one and Blue Cheer were a bit disappointing.

Sampled at the ’09 RBPTE. Sour and funky nose, with some barnyard and horse blanket, wine and light malt. Great nose. Light cloudy amber body with small creamy off-white lasting head. Medium thin body with lively carbonation. Great sour taste, funky and winey, cabernet sauvignon character and a touch of woodyness. Light bitter finish and sour after. Really nice sour ale - why do these types of beer have to be so elusive?

Bottle shared by mj. Thanks man! Beer pours dark reddish brown with nice bubbles and whispy foam. The nose is sweet and winey,with nice barrel tartness and a hint of honey. Oak up front, tart and funky with tons of wine barrel and some berries maybe. Tart and refreshing, soft sweet undertones. Nice lively big bubbled carbonation. Insanely drinkable.

In an effort to knock out the rest of my backlog, my ratings will be fairly generic and sparse. If the beer had anything special to offer, it will be noted following this disclaimer. The number ratings above are accurate based on my tasting notes. Following the elimination of my backlog, all beers will be entered in real time and will be more useful. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I think this has been one of my favorite Bullfrog beers. Wine barrel aging adds a little fruity tartness to the spicy saison. Great brew.

Sample at the 8/9 Pgh tasting, thanks to Nate! Murky lighter brown, some funk in the aroma, comes across like a sour ale or lambic on the nose. Tart and sour beer. Some bitterness but never in the forefront. A very decent beer experience which I haghly thank nate for. Big chunks of things floating around in the bottom of my glass. Lovely experience!

Sample at the 8/9 Pgh tasting, thanks to Nate!
Opaque reddish-tan with a cream head. Nose is Bullfrog all the way, the cabernet and wood imparting to the earthy saison a delicate berry quality. The flavor is more tart, the citric notes and wood building on the sweeter berry and red wine notes. A little reminiscent of El Rojo Diablo in that earthy grass/plant note, but the sweet fruit (and possibly the aging) add some extra sweetness that balances off the edges present in the former. This is the signature Bullfrog beer.

Sampled from a 750 ml brown bottle this beer poured a murky brown color with multiple floating bits and a medium sized tan head that faded quickly. The aroma was tart and tangy cabernet sauvignon. The flavor was tart and tangy with notes of honey, nut and a strong cabernet element. The finish was long, tart, sour and winey. Fairly full bodied. The wine really dominates but in a good way. Very good.