Local Review: Trinity's Brain of the Turtle
We're going to start doing more reviews of local beers. We're not going to go overkill or anything, just commit to looking at beer that is made here in Colorado Springs and we'll let you know what we think. We are using our own subjective rating system, based in part off BJCP guidelines, but only in part, because we care less about style guidelines at times, and really it boils down to whether we enjoy the beer or not.
The other day we headed over to Trinity and picked up a bottle of the newly released Brain of the Turtle. We've had the beer before, during parties, and really enjoyed it so we wanted to sit down with it and really spend some time with it. Brain of the Turtle is a sour beer, and the bottle reads "Sour Ale aged on oaken barrels, cherries, almonds, and coffee." We didn't read the label before we tried the beer. So, without further ado, here's our thoughts:
Brain of the Turtle
Brewed by: Trinity Brewing
AROMA
Acidic, barnyard brett notes, fun, low aroma
Sour, coffee, dark fruit, Brett bandaid funk
APPEARANCE
Brown, reddish, off white head that dissipates quickly
Looks good to me, the head doesn't dissipate as quickly as Isaac says
FLAVOR
Sour, the cherries are present. Something in there that taste like green chilies, maybe it's from the coffee, almost astringent. Heavy amazing barnyard, farmhouse Brettanomyces notes.
Complex malts, dark fruit, cherry tartness. I taste a chili flavor too, when Isaac points them out, but for me it's way back there and is it really the coffee? Not so sure, but I don't mind it at all. Definite Brett characteristics, some barnyard. Maybe some oak as it warms up? Roasted malts when it warms. Not sure what I'm looking for with the almonds, so I don't know about that. I prefer it warmer.
MOUTHFEEL
Medium/light mouthfeel, sour
Very fun, very puckery, and acidic. Dry finish.
LAST THOUGHTS
Tart, acidic sourness was good, although I still prefer Old Growth to this one. The possible coffee bittness was distracting. A very complex beer that should get better with age. Very enjoyable.
A very fun beer to drink, balanced sour, not too over the top, and it gets easier to drink as it warms up. The price was $25, which is about midrange for Trinity. I'm happy with that, although it's still at the highest end of what I'll pay for a beer. I think it could be $20.
TOTAL SCORE
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