Almanac Brandy Barrel Pêche
Historically, fruit-infused sour beers were a way of preserving the summer harvest. In that tradition, this blonde ale was added to brandy barrels with high-summer peaches, hand-picked by the Loewen family at Blossom Bluff Orchards in Reedley, California. We aged this liquid gold for six months until we needed a reminder that summer will come again. Pair with Prosciutto, crusty bread and fruit preserves.
3.9
154 reviews
Alameda, United States
Community reviews
Bottle from a trade. Lots going on here and it all works together really well. Nice tartness. Nice fruit. Bit of sweetness and wood from a barrel. Aroma is tart and peachy. Finish is tart and fruity again. Mid palate you get the sweet brandy. Pretty incredible.
Bottle at Andy’s for game day. Pours a hazed gold with a thin white head. Soft wood and a touch of sweet peach. A touch of sweetness, musky, a bit of tartness, with some soft peach notes. Nice funkiness with a bit of acidity. Funky and musky into the finish. Very nice.
Bottle 375ml.
[ As Almanac Brandy Barrel Pêche ].
Clear medium yellow color with a small to average, frothy - fizzy and open, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, pale malt, grape, peach. Flavour is light heavy sweet and moderate acidic with a long duration, peach, grapes, funky, tart. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20140704]
Bottle. Golden-yellow colour with an off-white head. Aroma is sourness, malt, fruit, brett, wood. Flavour is sourness, malt, peaches, fruit, hop, wood, brett, alcohol, peaches. Nice beer.
Bottle. Beermoth, Manchester. Hazy gold. Halo of white. Sweet, herby, soft, peachy toffee. Lightly acetic, fusty sourness. Taste is light sweet. Touch of dryness. Right amount of sour. Finishes light bitter, and light sour. Well balanced beer. Probably deserves a 4, but the equivalent of £18 a pint? Bonkers.
Pours clear golden with flat white head. Aroma of brandy, peach,mango, grapes. Taste is rich fruity sour tart with peach and tropical fruit, light sweet finish. Body is light and smooth yet crisp with soft to average carbonation.
375 ml bottle to snifter. Looks good; an apricot that’s so hazy you can’t see through it. White head that dissipates into thin lacing pretty quickly. Smells of mellow brandy with a subtle but nice peach presence in the background along with some tartness. Tastes like it smells with a nice, tart mouthfeel. More peach than brandy on the tongue. Good stuff.
375 ml bottle poured into a Spiegelau tulip. Mostly clear golden yellow with 1.5 fingers of off-white head. Aromas of citrus, light brandy, peaches and sweet stone fruit. Tastes of tart notes, lemons, tart peaches, citrus, sour and acidic notes, light brandy. Medium-light body with a dry finish. Great stuff.
Aroma: Big funky and peach bouquet
Appearance: cloudy golden color with white head
Taste: Champagne profile with a Pleasant peach flavor but not overwhelming with a sour punch on the finish
Overall: Light refreshing and flavorful sour. Just wish I could pick up some of the brandy barrel
10/17/2014. Bottle at the Toronado in San Diego. Light golden with a white head. Barrel ageing shows well right off, but the peaches are a bit muted. Overall it’s an awesome and complex sour with a long finish.
September 7, 2014. Bottled february 2013.
Pours hazy golden with medium sized frothy white head. Aroma is tart, citrus, brandy, oak, peaches, grape vanilla and biscuits. Taste is light sweet biscuit, brandy and fruit, tart fruity apples and citrus. Finish is medium dry tart and light woody and notes of peaches, grapes and brandy. Light/medium bodied, light dry, average carbonation.
Bottle. Cloudy yellow pour with a white head. Sour peach and barrel aromas. The taste pretty much follows suit. Citrus, malt, and oak undercurrents. Not much from the brandy here. Still, with a good mouthfeel and body.
Very good sour, one of their best, lots of peaches but not overly sweet, really nicely balanced beer with a ton of flavor, the peaches come in beautifully and subtly.
Pours a clear peach with a medium frothy white head. Aromas of funk, peach, elderflower and musky soil notes Taste is peach, funk, elderflower, farmhouse. Mouthfeel is tart and dry with medium carbonation.
(375ml bottle) Pours a lightly hazy yellow body with a spare white head. Aroma of peach, herbal, subtle barnyard, lime, and florals. Flavor of peach, oak, brett, caramel, and oak.
Bottled. Orange/golden coloured. Unclear. Small dense off white head. Aroma. Sourness, peaches, funk, wood. Flavour. Heavily sour, funk, citrus, grape, peaches, vague barnyard, wood and light brandy touch. Medium to full bodied. Ends sour and grapy.
Bottle pours yellow with medium white head. Aroma is tart vinegar with peach and grape notes. Taste is soft tart and light fruit, very nice
Bottle bought @ bierkompass.de Pours hazy golden with a small frothy and fizzy white head that doesn’t leave much trace on the glass while dissipating. Smell is sour, fruity and tiny funky with wheat crackers, ripe peaches, lemon juice, moist hay, buttery wood, dry soil, brandy, cobwebs, unflavoured doogh, lemon zest and hints of white raisins. Taste is very sour, slightly salty, slightly fruity and tiny funky with sourdough crackers, lemon juice, lime juice, yuzu juice, unflavoured doogh, peaches, unripe apricots, moist buttery wood, moist hay, dry soil, barnyard, lime zest, lemon zest, unripe white grapes and hints of brandy. Mouthfeel is crisp, dry, tart, mouth-puckering and light bodied. Finish is sour, tiny salty, fruity and tiny funky with sourdough crackers, lemon juice, lime juice, ripe peaches, moist hay, moist wood, white grapes, dry soil, unflavoured doogh and hints of barnyard, lemon zest and brandy. The first taste was really a citric punch in the face but as you get used to the acidity a nicely complex brandy inspired fruit sour is revealed. Delicious…
Bottle shared with Edgar and Brian. Snifters. Pours a somewhat cloudy orange copper with a thin head. No lacing. Aroma is a mix of peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and white wine barrel. The taste is tart peaches, apricots, and pears along with fermented green grapes. Not overly tart, slightly sweet. The barrel is fairly light flavored but the overall beer is very good. The fruits were so fresh tasting. Light carb, tart finish.
Bottle: Hazy golden-yellow with an off-white head that fizzles quickly away into a thin collar. Sour peach & apricot aroma with some more of that vinous white grape that seems to show up in all of these Almanac sours so far. I would assume it’s because of the same barrels being used, however this one is in brandy barrels. Wet oak, mild lacto funk & tartness with a touch of peach ring sweetness on the back-end. Nice peach & citrus flavor, tart up front then crescendoing into a mild sweetness. Slight lemon-like acidity with a bit of dry, musty wood towards the finish, again ending with a small kiss of white wine grapes. Sharp mouth feel, although there’s a very mild creaminess to it as well. A nice sour ale, though I don’t get any brandy barrel, mostly just white wine.
Pours a medium copper color with a finger of eggshell foam. Nose is layered with funky wet barrel, some earthy peach and round warm booziness. On the palate it follows the palate nicely but with delicate balance of fruit and booze. Ripe peach flesh, tart vinous acidity and a soft warming booze that dries out the finish and leaves some nuanced peach and wet barrel mustiness.
Bottle at home with the wife. Pour is clear golden with a big white head and minimal lacing. Juicy fruit notes - peach skin, apricots, pineapple and papaya - some oak, lemon zest, and a touch of spice. Taste is apricot juice, tannins, light wood, white wine, grape must, lacto, and tropical fruits with a light tart finish. Light body with high carbonation. Super fruit forward and refreshing. Nice summer beer!
Pale yellow with a white head. Aroma is peach, apricot, brandy, hint of sour funk. Medium-full bodied, fruity on the palate with a nice tartness on the finish. Taste is peach, tart peach candy, hints of other stone fruits.
Bottle at DC Epic Sour Tasting 2014, courtesy of craftycarl21, thank you sir! Slightly hazy yellow color, thick white head with god retention and solid lacing. Nice peach and lemon aroma. Taste is softly sour stone fruit. Very tasty.
Almanac is excelling at brewing approachable, highly drinkable yet complex sours. Done very very well. The brandy is actually pretty tame under the the waves of funk and peach. Medium tartness with some back end twang. 7% seems just right. Again."
375ml bottle shared by Dan P. Poured a slightly hazy light orange color with a small foamy white head. Aroma of funk, sour lemon, tart peach, and brandy. Taste mimics the nose with a Splenda aftertaste.
Slight cloudy dark orange. No head. Nose is sweet wine like with Tang juice and a touch of apricot. Taste is quite nice. I like brandy. It’s sweet and fruity. Juicy fruit with peaches and that wine like oaky finish. Brandy certainly cuts through the acidity. It’s really nice and memorable
Bottle from Errl-thanks, Chris! Had it with a peach turnover and an egg bake for brunch. Orange tinged straw color. Nice but soft aromas of some funk, light barrel, bit of stone fruit. Taste follows, lightly tart, with some stone fruit, if not pronounced peach. Peach may have faded some on this one, but still enjoyable, but some of these Almanac sours run together for me and this is one of those.
Bottle. Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head. Has a fruity sour weak oaky peachy aroma. Fruity woody sour peachy citric flavor. Has a fruity sour peachy woody citric finish.
Bottle shared at a tasting. Simple and straightforward, this beer has as sour aroma with peace, and the flavor is also sour with prominent peace flavor. Very good. lasting, effervescent fruit and yeast on the palate.