Full Review

Variant Brewing Company

Variant Brewing Company
Matters of the Subconscious Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Flanders Style Red Ale

Category: Flanders Style Red Ale

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 7.9%
97 Points
Platinum Medal
Superlative
2023 World Beer Championships Platinum Medal - 2023 Best Flanders Style Red Ale

Variant Brewing Company
Matters of the Subconscious Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Flanders Style Red Ale

Category: Flanders Style Red Ale

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 7.9%
Red oak color. Aromas and flavors of tart cherry syrup, blood orange, pickled raspberry, and almond paste with a satiny, tangy, dry medium body and a tingling, interesting, medium-long finish conveying elements of cherry preserves on a lemon almond cookie, apple creme, and singed blood orange. A barrel-aged Flanders Red that will delight both beer and wine drinkers alike thanks to its tart cherry and tannin character; a real stunner.

Tasting Info

Beer Glass Style: Rich & Full
Aroma Aroma: tart cherry syrup, blood orange, pickled raspberry, and almond paste
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with elements of cherry preserves on a lemon almond cookie, apple creme, and singed blood orange
Bitterness Bitterness: Faint
Enjoy Enjoy: on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Boiled Lobster, Pot Roast, Fontina
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A barrel-aged Flanders Red that will delight both beer and wine drinkers alike thanks to its tart cherry and tannin character; a real stunner.

The Producer

Variant Brewing Company

The Producer
66 Norcross Street
Roswell, GA 30075
USA

Flanders Style Red Ale

Flanders style red ales are deep red to reddish-brown in color and range in alcohol from 5-6.5%. These beers are defined by a complex fruitiness ranging from cherries to apples to oranges and a bracing acidic sourness. This defining sourness is a result of having been aged for years in well-used large wooden tuns allowing bacterial interaction with the beer and imparting a sharp ’sour’ character. Hops do not play much of a role in the overall flavor profile of these beers. Similar to Flanders style brown ales, these beers are a result of careful blending of aged beers to achieve the desired flavor profile. Noteworthy examples of this style include: Duchesse de Bourgogne, Rodenbach and Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge.