Van Dieman has been making more and more use of the bounty of its family farm in recent years. And, for Bramble, cast the net a little wider and added some juicy, "almost overripe" blackberries to the mix in another fruited farmhouse style ale. And it's up there as one of the funkier creations to come our way.
Indeed, while to taste there's much that's reminiscent of a soft, summery table wine to this barrel-fermented saison – summer and autumn berries, a gentle acidity – on the nose it's a beer that has you reaching for some of the more outré descriptors applied to barnyardy Belgian style wild ales. You might plump for old sweaty socks, maybe a whiff of sewerage, possibly the wet towel left in your gym kit bag – but, whichever one you go for, you know you're a long way from the world of straightforward water, malt, hops and yeast here.
Published December 4, 2018 2018-12-04 00:00:00