January 24th, 2014 marked a pretty significant milestone in the Wild/Sour beer market in Wisconsin. The first 4 beers in the collaboration between O’So Brewing Company and Funk Factory Geuzeria were released, which all of us Wisconsinites are hoping is a long and harmonious relationship. It also marked the day that these two brewed their first beer using the traditional lambic style that will go into their brand new coolship, which is only the second one in the state (the first one of course being operated by New Glarus). Unfortunately the sour lovers in Wisconsin are going to have to wait two years for this one to be released, but sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for.
I was excited to taste what they were able to accomplish so I cracked open my Winds of Change bottle, which is a dry hopped Pale Ale that is 100% fermented with brett and aged in oak barrels for 6 months. I am a huge fan of this style of beer because of what you are able to accomplish with the right hop profile combined with the beautiful floral notes from the brett. The nose of this style tends to be the highlight because there are so many contributing factors and this one did not let me down! The oak showed through on the nose more than the other characteristics, followed by the brett, with the hops hidden among those two notes. This is one of those beers I could sit and smell for hours because you are able to pick up different notes prior to each sip. The dry hopping is subtle and shows up in the front, which I consider a success. The brett kicks in and is pretty dense from mid through the back. Big champagne notes come in at the end as the beer dries out which really provides a nice ending to a fantastic beer. There are some caramel notes, which you can see in the color, that make this beer carry just a bit heavier than it should. All in all, a fantastic experience that I hope they revisit again down the road.