Valley Brew Decadence Grand Cru 2007

Formerly brewed at Valley Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
Stockton, California USA

Pours a deep copper/amber color with a white head. Aroma is malty, fruity apple, and tartness. Flavor is tart/sour apples, spicy, and a slight alcohol burn.

Hazy amber body with a small off-white head, fading. The aroma is cherry, caramel, vinous, horseblanket and light citrus. The flavor is slightly sweet, fairly sour, plenty of acetic and lactic acids, alcohol, cherry, cider vinegar and caramel. Medium body with moderate carbonation and an astringent finish.

6oz nip, courtesy of aspidites. Thanks, Mike! Pours a clear, orange-amber color; off-white head with patchy lacing. Generous aroma, showing tart cherries, citrus, and vinegar. Medium-to-full, chewy mouthfeel: relaxed tartness and carbonation; dense cherries and red fruits; slightly astringent - reminds me of Rodenbach Grand Cru with less sourness; alcohol warmth pokes through a bit (but not enough to suggest 12% alcohol). Medium, cherry and candy sugar finish.

Translucent body with an oily appearance deep within. Soft, creamy, off-white head. Minimal white lacing. Deep amber in color, with purple, ornage and dusty reds swirling about. Acidic citrus (pomegranate, cherry, apple, light unripe mango) is nose-tingling and sets the stage for a truly intriguing aroma. Brettanomyces and sour lactobacillus are exuberant and prominent, propped up on a pedestal demanding recognition. Alcohol is excellently masked. Gummy notes and grapeskins form a mold that seems to house the tartness and keep some at bay. This nose seems distinctly American in interpretaion. Missing is the funk and reckless abandon of a beer of this style that originates from a brewery with a farmhouse-style house character. Alcohol becomes very apparent upon first sip, a sharp contrast from just moments ago. Acidity is mild, bitterness is medium in intensity. The fruit character is very sour, but lip-smacking tartness seems reluctant to expose itself. The most fascinating aspect of the flavor is the realism of the pomegranate - it couldn’t possibly be more truthful and is a lovely addition, well extracted and utilized in this unique blend. I really would love to try the pomegranate lambic without quadrupel in the mix. The palate is very dry, lightly sticky, very soft. Sweet alcohol gently warms as it parades boldly through the middle of the mouthfeel. The finish is sweet, very warming, slowly drying, uninteresting. Quad characteristics are lost in this mildly tart blend. The fresh, dry and highly acidic pomegranate, especially near the end of the quaff, keeps this very interesting. I definitely enjoy the unique melding of aromas and flavors here. In retrospect, true Flemish sour brazenness would’ve been more exciting, more familar or not.

Cloudy amber colored pour. Sour but sweet tempered aroma of black cherries and toffee cake. Notes of candy sugars and attic yeast. Tastes of champagne, dry raspberry seeds and papery pomegranate acids. Warmth reveals bourbon-like tones and honeycomb sweetness, singing in reasonable harmony with the sour melody. Deep and caressing palate hides twelve percent easily. An intriguing blend of qualities. Thanks for sharing, Eric!

Does this really fit into a flemish sour? It didn’t seem to have quite enough sour/tart to it. iot was, however, pretty good. Mostly brown in colour without much head. Apparently I’m supposed to get pomegranate but I don’t. Maybe its what lends the sweetness/fruityness to it. The flavour is slightly tart but not as much as I expected. There is some brett but it’s got quite a bit of sweet to it, I expect from the mix of the quad.

Nip bottle @ Valley Brewing poured a lightly hazy golden brown with a minimal amber head. Aromas of citrus, peack, orange and carmel. Palate was light bodied dry and slightly tart. Flavors of carmel, orange, lemon, apricot and some brett notes with a crisp lingering lightly tart fruity finish. A very complex yet well balanced beer, truly amazing!

Bottle. Courtesy SoLan, by way of aspidites. Thanks a bunch for sharing. Pours a reddish orange with a medium swirly off white head. Pretty clear. Smells pretty tart, nice acidity, pomegranate is noticeable right away. The taste is definitely tart with a slight acidity, nothing too mouth puckering. It has a strong fruitiness to it as the pomegranate really shows up, especially in the finish. Get a good dose of the Brett as well. Rather spicy, a little cinnamon or brown sugar compliments the pomegranate and sourness pretty well actually. Quite complex. Different than alot of the flemish sours I’ve had, which was welcomed. Finishes fairly smooth for a big beer, although the alcohol is definitely detectable. Quite a unique and pleasant experience.