brettanomyces

Last Saturday night was spent at The Foundry.  I've really come to love this bar, and it has become a regular in my rotation.  Their food is good, and they have a great beer selection.  Not to mention one of the most awesome patios in Westport!

I tried a few different beers that night, and it's official I've fallen in love with one of them!  Now please be reminded that this was my 4th different beer of the evening so my opinion might be slightly skewed by the other 3 beers that I consumed first (It was SATURDAY).

What beer has spurred this sort of reaction?  It's the Mikkeller Brettanomyces from the Yeast Series that they have ON TAP.  Yes, they have the whole series ON TAP!  While I was talking with the bartender, I got just enough info that I felt compelled to find out more.  So...the following is a brief educational journey which I'm sharing with you:

-Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the one man brew team behind Mikkeller, is a "nomad" or "gypsy" brewer.  This means he doesn't always brew at his brewery in Denmark.  He can be found brewing for brief amounts of time at other breweries in Europe and in the US.

-Yeast Series? Each of the beers starts as a strong pale ale – 8%.  In the series the Malt, hops, and water quantities are identical.  The only thing that changes is the yeast that is used.  The series also includes a Hefeweizen, Lager,  American Style Ale and Belgian Ale.

-Brettanomyces, the yeast that is used in this particular beer, that has stolen my heart, helps to explain why I loved it so much.  The same yeast is found in most sour and farmhouse ales, lambics, and locally in the Saison Brett (brett like both brettanomyces and George) from the Boulevard Smokestack Series.  It produces a noticeable "FUNK" taste similar to cheese.  Mmmm who doesn't like it when things get a little funky.

In my humble beer opinion this is a really well rounded beer similar in flavor to some of my favorite pale ales by including a sufficient amount of hops.  The best part is when it hits you with that fruity funky flavor produced by the yeast.  I say thumbs up! FYI: the beeradvocate guys agree.  :)

If you get really curious to do some of your own research you might run across this picture that is located on the Mikkeller Fan Club facebook page.  It totally cracks me up.  I think it's the shoes...