Fleur

I tried this after a day of Brewery touring Chicago, ending at The Green Grocer (http://www.greengrocerchicago.com/) for a beer tasting. Cassie, the owner was kind enough to open a couple bottles of beer that I had not been acquainted with. This was one of them:

Appearance: Robust gold/amber with (a pink and rose tinge - 2011). Complete with visible carbonation. White soapy foam head with quick dissipation. Clarity would be a 7/10. Lacing is minimal but still uniformed and wet.

Aroma: Smells delicately flowery with touches of fruit. Fruitiness takes the form of peaches and other flowery aromas. Slightly yeasty with a finishing soured smell. Kombucha pungency, almost vinegary.

Taste: A bittering flower petal note to the taste is immediately apparent. There is also a light malt flavor combined with the adjunct of extra sugar, flowers (hibiscus), and herbal tea. I find that the combination of these spices and malt make a very refreshing taste. The flavor finishes in the form of floral tea which holds an extremely light contribution to the general taste of the ale. Peaches, cherry, and honey also make slight appearances. Overall funk may describe these sensations. Tartness is restrained by the tea/tannin flavors.

Mouthfeel: Light texture while the body is made a bit heavier due to the swift spiking bite of the carbonation, which doesn't seem to loosen up the liquid. With a light crispy flavor and texture, this ale is a lot different than what was expected. It remains crisp and highly drinkable. Body gradually gives me an impression of being thicker, syrupy like the deeper I go.
Overall Impression: Now that I think of it, the kombucha really reveals itself as a partial contributor to the fruitiness as well as sweetness. I grow my own kombucha (Thanks to the Mad Farmers) and I'm realizing that if I had known this beer contained kombucha tea prior to drinking it I would have reconsidered the beer. The sour Belgian yeast makes many of the funky flavors more pronounced. This would be worthy of a re-try given the conditions (aka plastic cup, rush to log) as well as little understanding as to what this beer really is. Try it for me! - 2010 Me

The Newer Fleur is far more fruitier and has a stronger color aspect to it. Tasting it again, the balance between the subtle kombucha flavor, earthy and fruity hibiscus and attenuation from the Belgian yeast really makes for a fantastic ale!


T1: 10/1/10: 78/100
T2: 7/17/11: 89/100