Sweetwater 19th Anniversary
Sweetwater 19th Anniversary is a Belgian Pale Ale, 7% ABV. The website and bottle states: This Golden Belgian style Ale matured for over a year on brett in Merlot and Cabernet barrels, then was blended with a bright, citrusy hop-forward Belgian Style IPA.
The beer pours with a slightly cloudy golden color, a good head to start that fades. Classic Brett character on the nose, this smells funky and tart with some perfect barnyard and horse blanket in the aroma. The taste is quite nice with even more classic Brett funk to start. A good amount of dry bready flavor is followed by a sweet pop of fruit, peaches and apricot come to mind. Things finish up with a mildly bitter hop finish. I can’t say that I’m getting much from barrels, some notes of the wood comes out as it warms, but no real wine character is coming though.
This is a mighty tasty beer as it stands now, but I do feel like this also has some serious potential for aging. I can see the Brett developing even more interesting flavors over time.
