Lost Abbey Phunky Duck

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Lambic - Unblended
San Marcos, California USA

Lost Abbey Phunky Duck 8/28/09 (the long-awaited Phunky-Duck! On tap at Beachwood Sour Fest. This beer is worth it’s weight in complexity. Appears dark red-brown, muddy, and with no head. Aroma is vinegary and fermented cherry-like upront, with some sweet almond (my girlfriend thought this was distinctly like the almond “husk”). The flavor starts with puckering acetic acid notes, then immediately mellows into an almost sweet bread and amaretto almond-float like flavor. Quite nice, the barrel-aging in Phunky Duck must contribute strongly to that unique almond, wood, vanilla profile. The finish gains in acidity, staying mellow throughout. A wonderfully complex drink, only reason rating is not higher is that I personally prefer more the citrus-tinged tartness in my sours.

On tap @ Beechwood BBQ. Clear amber with no head. Aroma has some lemon tang and acetone. Flavor has a huge wheaty finish, sourness peaked @ a 3-4. Almost flat, light to medium body. Slight disappointment, but still good.

On tap at the 3rd anniversary party. Slightly hazy golden pour, small white head. Oak, lemons, sourness, tart apple, peach, bread, grass, and some funk. Complex and sour. Very good.

ON tap. Poured a hazy gold/yellow color. Aroma of bread, vinegar, wood and some funk. Flavor was better than the aroma in my opinion. Not overly sour for me. Flavors of yeast, funk/sour, bread, with a bit of something akin to vinegar. Nice palate, but some acidic qualities. I think I liked this one more than the 3rd.

Tap at the 3rd Anniversary Party. Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a little white head. Nose is very bready with the carbonation jumping up and tickling the nose. Flavors are bready, bubble gum, sourdough starter, and some pale malt. Mouth is uber carbonated with a long sour bite finish. Will clear the sinuses out. WOW!

On tap at brewery. Hazy golden with a fizzy white head. Very sour oak aroma. Lip puckering lemon sour and throat burning astringent.

On tap at the Green Flash Anniversary Party. Pours a mostly cloudy, deep golden color with subtle orangish hues and a thin layer of fizzy white head. Sour nose with some lighter fruity notes lingering in the background. Smells quite acetic, with an underlying sweetness and a faint acetone alcohol character. After recovering from the initial shock of the acetic character, the soft underlying fruitiness became enjoyable. Medium bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel with a moderately strong acidity. Flavors are a bit sweet/tart up front on the palate, with shades of white wine vinegar. The acetic character seems to enhance the sweet impression up front, and also seems to develop a bit of a flabby texture, as compared to a sharp, focused tartness that often accompanies a bold lactic acidity. Some fruity alcohols come out mid-palate, bringing out some softer notes of peach and tangerine. Finishes dry, with a lingering acidity. As a stand alone beer, I just can’t get past the acetic character of the beer. However, there are some components of the flavor that I could see working quite well in a blend, so perhaps this beer will contribute some magic yet.

EBF NOTB. Golden in color with a medium sized head that recedes. Alot of acetic acid, funk, and brett in the aroma- sour lemons, light pineapple. Taste: has a nice punch of sourness, alot of acetic acid- some mild peach and pineapple, as well as some bretty funk. Sourness gets quite strong in the finish...