Splinter Gold
750 ml corked and caged bottle into a couple of snifters. I had heard some stories about gushing with this one but I had it sufficiently chilled down enough so as not to produce any problems. The beer pours a deep, hazy, golden orange, with a couple fingers of foamy bright-white colored head. Retention is fantastic here, pretty much holding at a sturdy finger of froth that doesn't budge, throwing a huge creamy cascade of lacing that settles into thick swathes of foam. Just a great all around flare-up and look to this. The Brett in the aroma adds crispness to the nose that intermingles effortlessly with tart citrus flavors and spice. Sugary breads sit underneath with vinous notes and some earthy smelling tannic wood character. Man, this just overall has a fresh and crisp feel from the Brett that really is reminiscent of some of the best out there. I could have just stuck my nose in this all night. The flow and balance of the flavors is somehow even better in the taste. The Brett flavor really isn't coming off as funky to me in the least, instead being much tarter and biting, blending in with zesty fruity notes of orange, lemon and green apples, as well as sugary tasting doughy bread. There is a touch of a vinous presence here but most of the barrel feel is coming out more as woody character that hangs in the back of the throat after each sip, lovingly lingering with leftover spicy notes in a dry feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with an EXTREMELY smooth and easy carbonation in the mouth. This just has a tremendous feel from all of that tannic slickness, with this literally feeling like it slithers down the throat at times. And there is no way that this beer is 12%. There is just no way. I'm not getting one iota of heat or alcohol from this in any way, shape, or form. There is just some subtle warmth that starts to creep over my face as I work through the glass. Fantastic is all I have to say. Fresh, tart, tangy, and oaky tasting, with a tremendous drinkibility, pretty much sums up this Splinter Series creation to a tee. The Brett addition and barrel-aging here had a delicate and deft touch to it that I was totally caught off guard by and I have to say that this honestly could easily hang with some of the better Barrel-Aged Wild Ales out there right now. If you have multiple bottles of this, I would definitely drink one now while the Brett is still fresh and then cellar one to see how the funk develops. I was very impressed by this effort and can't wait to see how Tregs takes things from here.