Panil Barriquée (Sour)
The dark, sour, barrel-aged beers native to the Netherlands and Belgian Flanders represent one of the oldest beer styles in the world. Barriquée is the only all-natural, traditionally-made example you will find today, and it comes from, of all places, Italy. The deep earthy, sour character results from three months of maturation in cognac barrels from Bordeaux, followed by re-fermentation and further aging in the bottle. This unfiltered, unpasteurized, complex and delicious beer is the inspired work of Dr. Renzo Losi, whose Panil brewery makes many excellent natural beers in time-honored, classic styles.
(from Batch #22 2016 label)
Save the wild yeasts! From senseless abuse and pasteurization.
Suddenly beer-lovers here in the States are all a-titter over dark, sour, wood-aged ales. These complex, fruity-tasting beers, native to the Netherlands and Belgian Flanders, represent one of the oldest beer styles in the world. In their traditional form, these Sour Reds – also known as ‘Flemish Red’ or ‘Oud Bruin’ beers – are related to real lambic beers: a touch of wild yeast and bacteria coming from the wood give acidity, both lactic (sour) and acetic (vinegar).
Trouble is, it’s become nearly impossible to find a true, traditional Sour Red, even in the place where the style was born. The spate of Sour Reds turning up here now leaves most drinkers crying in their beer. They’re too damned sweet! Crass commercialization has brought even the generally recognized ‘classics’ of the style to their knees. They’re pasteurized, and sometimes laced with sugar or artificial sweeteners to make them appealing to the less-discerning beer drinker. The traditional complexity, character, and dryness are missing in action.
But now comes Panil Barriquée, and not a minute too soon.
Barriquée is the only all-natural, traditionally-made example you will find today, and it comes from, of all places, Italy. This masterpiece is ‘triple-fermented.’ Primary fermentation is in stainless steel. The deep earthy, sour character results from three months of maturation in cognac barrels from Bordeaux, followed by re-fermentation and further aging in the bottle. Barriquée is not pasteurized or filtered, and no sweeteners are added, so it is uncompromisingly dry and complex, and endlessly interesting.
(from https://www.sheltonbrothers.com/beers/panil-barriquee)
Last creation of Renzo, lover of wood from time immemorial, is an absolute novelty in Italy. These dark beer is aged in French oak barrels.The barrique hosts three fermentations, 15 days in iron vessel, 90 days in barriques coming from cognac and bordeaux and 30 days in bottle. The result is a beer who marries a strong alcohol strenght, 8% with an extraordinary drinkability and a incomparable bouquet of aromas.
(Editor’s note: Originally this version was available for the American market, while in Europe a version less sour was available; as of today, only this version of Sour is produced, so if you got a recent vintage you had this one.
The Sour has a sticker to differentiate it from the sticker-less Barriquée Mild, which has not been inoculated with lactobacillus bacteria.)
( Alex, 2012-03-13, mail from Panil to Mortlach, although we don’t know when the European version stopped being produced )
(from Batch #22 2016 label)
Save the wild yeasts! From senseless abuse and pasteurization.
Suddenly beer-lovers here in the States are all a-titter over dark, sour, wood-aged ales. These complex, fruity-tasting beers, native to the Netherlands and Belgian Flanders, represent one of the oldest beer styles in the world. In their traditional form, these Sour Reds – also known as ‘Flemish Red’ or ‘Oud Bruin’ beers – are related to real lambic beers: a touch of wild yeast and bacteria coming from the wood give acidity, both lactic (sour) and acetic (vinegar).
Trouble is, it’s become nearly impossible to find a true, traditional Sour Red, even in the place where the style was born. The spate of Sour Reds turning up here now leaves most drinkers crying in their beer. They’re too damned sweet! Crass commercialization has brought even the generally recognized ‘classics’ of the style to their knees. They’re pasteurized, and sometimes laced with sugar or artificial sweeteners to make them appealing to the less-discerning beer drinker. The traditional complexity, character, and dryness are missing in action.
But now comes Panil Barriquée, and not a minute too soon.
Barriquée is the only all-natural, traditionally-made example you will find today, and it comes from, of all places, Italy. This masterpiece is ‘triple-fermented.’ Primary fermentation is in stainless steel. The deep earthy, sour character results from three months of maturation in cognac barrels from Bordeaux, followed by re-fermentation and further aging in the bottle. Barriquée is not pasteurized or filtered, and no sweeteners are added, so it is uncompromisingly dry and complex, and endlessly interesting.
(from https://www.sheltonbrothers.com/beers/panil-barriquee)
Last creation of Renzo, lover of wood from time immemorial, is an absolute novelty in Italy. These dark beer is aged in French oak barrels.The barrique hosts three fermentations, 15 days in iron vessel, 90 days in barriques coming from cognac and bordeaux and 30 days in bottle. The result is a beer who marries a strong alcohol strenght, 8% with an extraordinary drinkability and a incomparable bouquet of aromas.
(Editor’s note: Originally this version was available for the American market, while in Europe a version less sour was available; as of today, only this version of Sour is produced, so if you got a recent vintage you had this one.
The Sour has a sticker to differentiate it from the sticker-less Barriquée Mild, which has not been inoculated with lactobacillus bacteria.)
( Alex, 2012-03-13, mail from Panil to Mortlach, although we don’t know when the European version stopped being produced )
3.9
844 reviews
Torrechiara (PR), Italy
Community reviews
Very earthy aroma and notes, a bit of odd mushroomyness in the after, but good? Rich and leathery but very light sour backs well against a bit of cognac
A bit pricy right off the bat. Shared this one with my better half. Pours a thick frothy creamy looking head and has a really dark amber appearance. Good lacing. Has aromas of mild cherries, sweet malts and resin hops. Flavours are of green apples, light mild spices, herbal and earthy hops. Very sour, tarty, especially in the finish. Faint carbonation. Chalky drying mouthfeel Much more bitter and sour than sweet. Not bad. This one’s kind of all over the place and in your face. 750ml bottle is better when shared. :)
2013/Jan. Cellared. Purchased in Chicago 3 months fresh. Nice strong carbonation noise on breaking the seal. I was worried it was going to spray all over the place. Ruby with just slight brown hues. Short, ample small bubble off white head with mild lacing. Lots of fast moving carbonation. This has stood up exceptionally. Nose is heavy with raspberry, green leaves, and yeast. Lots of apple tart, raspberry, and a background nutty toast on the palate. It’s obviously a sour, so the nuances of acid, and fruit. Traces of wood, whiff of smoke. Faint charred sugars in the background, likely from contact with hot surfaces during the boil. Faint menthol/mint in the finish, with notes of black tea. Excellent.
Bottle best before 2009 sampled 2017. Cherry fruit and mild lactic aroma. Very cloudy light brown color. Fruity and light acidic taste with a small sweetness.
Bottle. 2005 vintage. Light hazy brown liquid with small white head. Aroma of lemon, apple skin, balsamic, port wine, raisins and dried fruit. Taste is light sweet and medium sour with notes of lemon, port wine, raisins and apple skin. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Really nice, very well aged.
Bottle form importer. nice sourness vintage edition, dark malts works well with sour.
750 ml bottle shared. Hazy reddish brown appearance with a small tan head. Aroma of sour funk, light oak, mild caramel malt and a mild sweetness. Medium body with a light watery feel. Hints of a vanilla and dark fruits round things out. Nicely balanced but pricey.
Bomber from Crafted in Haymarket, VA
Aroma: sour cherries, bread, hay, woody
Appearance: hazy amber with an off-white head
Taste: medium sourness, light sweetness,
Palate: light body, slick feel, average carbonation, dry finish
Excellent
Dark amber/cider color; Medium body; Aroma of woody malt, yeast, sour fruit, & some vanilla/caramel; Flavor of slight sweet malt, yeast, oak, sour dark fruit (notably cherries), some vinegar, and spice; Finish is dry & sour/tart; Very nicely balanced; Simply well done - very good overall.
ASPETTO: marrone mogano scuro, abbastanza limpido, schiuma beige, abbondante, fine e persistente. AROMA: acetoso, aceto balsamico, frutti rossi, legnoso e, stranamente, intonaco! GUSTO: attacca con un acetico deciso, poco fruttato. Sentori legnosi, vinosi, leggerissimo luppolato alla fine. Corpo leggero, carbonizzazione molto bassa (un po’ troppo). Fino ad ora la migliore sour italiana, ma ne ho assaggiate di più complesse, soprattutto del Belgio.
Caoba con espuma marfil. Aromas de frutos rojos, cereza. Cuerpo ligero, con sabor intenso de fruto rojo y final seco con regusto ferroso.
Bouteille. Batch #20. Liquide ambré dont la teinte n’est pas clairement définie. Est-ce brun? Rouge? C’est trouble et flou. Tête très timide qui tient étonnement bien la route. Arômes sucrés de caramel, de bois, de vanille, de gâteau. Je suis plus dans la pâtisserie que dans le fruit. Curieux mélange de sucreries et de bois qui semble fonctionner. C’est cet aspect terreux qui me déplaît et me rebute. Beaucoup d’éléments à la fois qui me semblent mal structurés. Saveurs off en bouche. Le sucre s’est amoindri et les notes d’acétone prennent le dessus. Parmi ces saveurs puissantes de raisin, de caramel chauffé et de vinaigre blanc, se situent des saveurs off aussi perturbantes que les arômes. De deux choses l’une: soit la bouteille a mal évolué, soit le brasseur a cherché à trop en mettre dans un même breuvage.
750 ml bottle shared. Clear amber with a thin beige head. Aroma is vinous, dark berry, some funk. Taste has a lot of nutty, caramel notes. Not much tartness. Medium body and medium carbonation.
Bottle. Thanks Tohara-san. Aroma is booze, plastic, grapes and leather. Taste is alright, oaky, fruit and sweetness, light sourness, bit of funk.
On tap @ arrogant soour festival 2016. Ramato opalescente, schiuma beige fine e persistente. Aroma intenso fruttato, amarene, acete di mele, caramello, lieve tostatura. Abboccato, dolciastro da caramello, poi acido importante, tendente al lattico. Corposa, carbonatazione media, Astringente su gengive. Equilibrata ed armonica.
Pours dark amber with a good head. Aroma is dank a bit sweet sour cellar dusty fruity. Flavor is similar.
Aroma is sour/tart fruit, malts and a hint of milk/Worcestershire sauce funk. The flavor is raspberries/cherries, malts, fruit, mild sour/sweet funk and a tart/earthy/very slightly milky finish.
Pours a reddish brown color. Aromas of dark fruit, yeast, and a touch of wood. Flavor is sour cherries, yeast, wood, and a couple of sweet tarts.
Draft at Slow Boat. This is a cool spot. Deep dark reddish pour. Small head, some lacing. Oak, leather, well-balanced balsamic tartness and malty, lightly sweet backing. After acclimating over the first few sips, this just gets more and more delicious.
On tap at the Modern Times Festival of Funk. It pours an amber color with an off white head. The aroma has sour berries with some sweet tarts. The flavor has a good balance of fruity, berry-like tartness and sweeter fruit flavors. Clean. Good stuff.
2006 bottle. Aroma is red wine, cherry skins, and light vinegar. Tastes like red wine and cardboard. Probably should’ve opened this a bit sooner. Dry finish. I’m gonna look for a fresher bottle to try again some time.
A small taste from a friend (bottle) @ Il Birrificio. Pours clear deep amber with a low head. Aroma is sour malts, apples and berries. Flavor is very sour malts with some notes of apples. Great stuff.
bottled on 0308 (7y old) deep amber almost flat vinous honey wood oxidation light balsamic note wild fruit good acidity
ambrato carico praticamente piatta vinosa legno miele castagno ossidazione filo balsamico frutti di bosco buona acidita ma non fastidiosa
Tap - not much head, very dark red color, big sour dark fruit aroma and flavor, definite sour (in a good way) finish, good overall
Aromi di prugna, tabacco, datteri. Acida ma con un confortante malto ancora ben distinguibile.
4 oz pour on draft at ChurchKey. Clear dark amber with off-white head. Aromas of vinegar, dark fruit, caramel. Tastes of dark fruit, vitamins, light vegetal notes, light oak. Light body with a dry finish.
New Beer Distributors, NYC bottle: Pours reddish with a very small loose head. Aroma is vinegar, wine, wood, sugar, and some fruitiness. Taste is moderately sour. Carbonation is very light. Sourness maximizes around the finish and libgers on to the aftertaste. Veey drinkable while also being a little intense. Glad to finally have this beer.
On draft at Snallygaster 2015. Pours a clear cola brown with a tan head. Aroma of tart cherry. Flavors of sour green apple. Crisp tart finish.
Old bottle of US made sour. Pours a reddish brown hue with no head or lacing. The aroma is almost a vinegar with cherries and blackberries. The taste is tart cherries and mulberries with a muted sourness. Was expecting more sour. Somewhat acidic. It was fine but was just expecting a little more.
On tap at a Cantillon event. Dark pour. Small head, if any. No lacing. Not a lot of funk in the nose and not as sour as I would have hoped. Not bad. Some plummy notes in both the mouth and nose. Slight sweetness with a bit of sourness. Maybe the newer ones are more sour.