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The clock has struck 8 and Sierra Nevada and Russian River are releasing the 2020 version of Brux, a Wild Domesticated Ale. This is a treat to see this get the yearly release special treatment. If you have not had this before, this will be a fun taste experience.
The Brux returns for a 7th time as Russian River and Sierra Nevada re-re-re-release the iconic “domesticated wild ale”. It will be interesting to see if a new version will be made now that Russian River has their own coolship surrounded by extra wood from the Sierra Nevada construction of Mills River. (Hopefully this will come in small bottles)
Looks like the band is getting back together at the 5 year anniversary as Brux, a beer both wild and domesticated will be coming back with what appears to be a Harry Potter styled lion patronus charging into and off of the label.
You can head to this cool website about Brux at I Think About Beer to refresh your memory.
Refermented in the bottle with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Brux will change and develop over time. Copper-colored, dry and complex, with slightly tart notes of green grass, pear, spice and lemon – this ale will progress in the bottle for many years.
That is part of the brewery description of the domesticated wild ale collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Russian River.
Back in July of 2012, I had these superlatives for the beer when I sampled it at the Surly Goat: “This is one tremendous beer. Pours a slightly hazy yellow. Barnyard funk greets the nose but does not overwhelm. The taste is sprightly with some funk and sour melding together. Some fruit notes tag along for the ride as well.”
But what do I think now that is has aged a bit. Can it possibly get better?
Short answer. No. Not that the orange color that replaced the hazy yellow is an issue. Nor is their a diminishment of barnyard funk. What has changed and not for the better in my view is that last bit of fruit has faded off into the sunset and for sunrise there is a bit of a band-aid note at the back end that is a bit gacky on the palate. And by gacky, I mean a flavor that erases the goodwill that came before and replaces it with a slightly rubber taste. There is a nice tartness here though and the first 85% of the beer is fine even though it doesn’t reach the heights of 2012.
The Verdict? Maybe this beer was in a trough. Some beers go through phases (like a teenager) where they are unlikeable. Would another year make this better? Or improve where it is? Won’t know now but that is the fun of experimenting with beer aging. The unknown.
Sierra Nevada is collaborating again and this one is with a fairly close by neighbor, Russian River!
They have partnered to create Brux Domesticated Wild Ale with an ABV of 8.3%. It got it’s intro to the beer world at craft beer event in Asheville earlier this month and might be on store shelves (limited release) as of now!
