Pizza Port Le Woody

Le Woody is the newest release in our series of experimental beers exploring the properties of barrel aging and wild yeast fermentations. For the last 5 years, our brewers in Solana Beach have been creating stylistically challenging beers with bold flavors aged in oak barrels. Each of these small scale batches represents a labor of love and a testament to our patience. In each case, Good Things Come To Those Who Wait. What took so long you might ask? Le Woody was aged for 9 months in French Oak Barrels that once were used in the production of California Chardonnay. At 6.5% ABV, Le Woody is a decidedly refreshing beer with a solid tannic bite which our brewers have married to a lemonade like blast of acidity that finishes in a lightly toasted coconut fullness. Untouched by filters or pasteurization, this bottle conditioned ale will continue to evolve for many years to come for those who thirst with a patience in mind!

159 reviews

Solana Beach, United States

Community reviews

4.3 Bottle. [Tasting @ Papsoe 20-10-2008] Small bubbly white head that mostly diminished. Spare display of lacework. Cloudy golden orange color. Aroma of leather, perfume, soap, barnyard, fruit, rubber, wheat. Heavy sour vinegar, citrus and fresh apple over the palate. Full bodied with a sparkling carbonation and dry texture. Heavy acidic flavor with good counter sweetness. Lingering sour rubber and leather finish.

4.2 Poured an opaque pale copper orange with frothy white head. The nose and flavor were awesome with cherry tartness, oak and funk. Excellent oak dry finish.

2.9 750ml bottle thanks to Kan. 2004 vintage. Pours a cloudy copper hue with little head. Funk, oxidation, medium tartness, subdued tannins. A little harsh around the edges wtih some vinegar notes. Soap character. Something went wrong with this bottle.

2.8 750ml bottle thanks to chris and anxiously shared with others a couple weekends back....a semi-transparent orange brown pour with an extremely thin soapy white heas that congregrated towards the sides of the glass.... somewhat off aroma, somewhat chemical, almost like some sour milk and apple juice. not good....flavor had some more of that off-ness upfront then turns to a more sour and tart profile. couldn’t get past the spoiled lactose like sensation that ultimately made this a drainpour.

3.4 Thanks to Pantanap for opening up this bottle. Cloudy orange with small white head. Funky orange aroma with a little oxidation, sweet and acidic. Sweet and oaky flavors with orange and a little creaminess nad acidic. Medium, acidic body. Very creamy flavors and acidic.

2.6 Many thanks to Kan for opening this, bottle #225! Unfortunately there seemed to be something wrong.. Poured clear, bright coppery golden with just a dusting of white head. The aroma was very sour and very woody with almost acetone-y harshness.. more oak and apricots toward the back.. weird. The flavor was harsh and sour with a bunch of raw vinegar and more acetone.. again picked up some apricot skins, which proved to be a partially-redeeming factor.. rough finish with oak and cleanser. Sour as expected on the palate, but something was way off.. cloying and rough on the back. I would love another shot at this.

2.8 750ml bottle. big thanks to kan for sharing. ’04 vintage. pours gold with white head. nose is odd, paint thinner maybe? a bit rotten fruit, apricot. flavor is the same. this must have been an off bottle or this aged really poorly. spritzy, disappointing.

4.2 3rd Annual Woodshop Tasting, 3/1/08. Thanks Chris! Pretty stoked to be able to try this retired rarity! 2004 vintage bottling. Just an all around solid sour ale - palate is well rounded from the barrel with an elegant carbonation that glides down the throat...zesty citrus and acidic-tart zing is still prominent and wonderful. Funk lingers for minutes! Solid brew! Never had a chance to try it upon release, but it seems that this guy has held up great with the age.

3.9 Sampled at cquiroga’s 3rd Annual Woodshop Tasting. A privilege to try this one, which I know has got to be pretty old. Pours a clear light yellow with a bit of white microbubbles. The aroma is an intense dry and sour yeasty funk with notes of damp soil and lemon citrus. The flavor follows up nicely with a thin chardonnay character with more lemon and orange citrus. Oak barrel is well-rounded with an oxidized sting. Soft and smooth palate with a hint of carbonation and acidity, very drinkable.

2.2 pours dark with no head and a nose strongly reminicent of vinegar. cidery-vinegary taste, watery mouth feel. i am not a fan of this style of beer.

4.3 17th Rating from 3rd Annual Woodshop tasting in Temple City, CA. 3/1/08. One hell of a day put on by Cquiroga, thanks for a killer day Chris. Also spent the day there with bikesanbeer, my girlfriend Cyn, wetherel, JohnC, DenverLogan, dirty_martini, jasparg, DrBil, IPAFiend, awaisanen and many others, this was one crazy day. Bottle from cquioroga. Pours like Apple Cider. Nose is sour, supremely sour. Taste is sweet, sour and damn tasty.

4.2 Bottle@Dr.Bills Poured clear with thin head. Sour yeast, sweet fruit, slightly woody and very drinkable.

4.2 sampled at the San Diego Strong Ale Festival Nov 2008, an event shared with what seemed liked hundreds of ratebeerians and enjoyed mostly through a straw, since my face was a bloody mess of scabs and stitches. this came from the RB table full of bottles. I Believe cquiroga pulled this one out. Thanks Chris! light ambe cloudy beer with fruity and vinous nose. flavor was wonderful. sour fruity, mostly cherry with some apple notes lots of nice funk that is not too overpowering. hard to describe how good this is. wish i could get a bunch more

4.3 Cloudy amber; small head. Sweet fruit, citrus and white wine aroma and flavors. Big oak, sweet fruit, graham crackers, and lots of lambic qualities. Subtle notes of cider, sour apple, orange, vanilla.Has held up well and is excellent. Rated from a 1/19/08 Dr. Bill tasting.

4.3 Bottle from cquiroga. Huge thanks for this one. Freshly opened, this beer exhibited a strong paint thinner quality that really was holding back an otherwise awesome beer. As it warmed and breathed it thinned, and at this point it is nowhere to be found, at least in the aroma. In the flavor it is there but thin. It’s tough though to think about that because had I been sharing this bottle, we probably never would’ve gotten to the beer at a point where that was unnoticable. Anyway, on to the good stuff. Aroma is decently tart and very tannic, with definite white wine notes. Well balanced sourness in the flavor has good complexity, lots of oak. They really nailed it in the description with "lemonade like blast of acidity that finishes in a lightly toasted coconut fullness." Dead on. The palate is thick and pure, and doesn’t suffer from the thinness many sours tend to exhibit. What a wonderful beer. Though the acetone thing does bring it down a bit, this is still a pure joy to drink. Thanks a ton, Chris!

3.7 Thin fizzy head. Soft sourness in the aroma. Lots of lemons, tart grapes. Cloudy golden orange. Very sour tart flavor. makes the mouth pucker and salivate. Lemons and citrus tartness abound. Pretty fierce tartness up front but mellows pretty well. Sampled late at a tasting so my notes are not all that complete for this brew. A decent brew but not really my style.

4.7 Incredible super rate treat brought by deftim13. Huge thanks Tim! A 2003/4 Le Woody, bottle #73. Tasted at Churchill’s with Ivan, Tim, Aaron, and Dave. My favorite of the night. Pale super cloudy color. You can see the smallest of particles suspended in the liquid. I want to say I taste sour cherries and red dred fruit in general. Perfect level of sourness. Not overpowering. Extremely easy to drink. I like it little better than Toronado 20th (but it does have 6yr age advantage). 4.7-4.8 Interesting side note. I brought the last 1" home to drink, put it in the fridge, but didn’t get too it until 2 days later. Aroma has much faded, no carbonation, the sour seems diminished as well. The beer is very clear, except when further poured and the sediment is introduced. More like a 3.6 beer in this reduced state. Hmmm.

4.3 750mL bottle, generously shared by kramer17801. Thanks, Jason!! Pours a bright, effervescent orange color; small covering of off-white bubbles with patchy lacing. Dense, honey-laden and green olive aroma; beautifully sweet, almost mead-like density in the nose, with a slight brett presence and some soft cedar. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: this is definitely like nothing I’ve had before: cedar, olives, and honey are the dominant notes; soft and mildly tart, with a citrus/grapefruit character that fills out the palate; weird and wonderfully blended, ending with soft honey and minerals. Just excellent.

3.4 Date: 08/24/2005 Mode: Bottle Source: Tasting clear golden, headless, huge tart aroma, hint of funky sweetness, funky flavor, oaky, tart, essence of lemon, Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 14/20 Rating: 3.4/5.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

4.2 Poured a clear gold, the fuzzy white head dissipates with unfortunate haste. Luckily, the aroma it reveals is absolutely enthralling by its complexity. Monstrous oak rages at first, unleashing a profusion of vanillin. Soon, an oddly nostalgic scent sets in – a combination of aromas that reminds very vividly of childhood carnivals. The ever-present pony stand is in full frame, and from it emanate funky aromas of straw and manure. Sweet smells of nearby vendors begin to pour in. I would have begun tugging at my mother’s dress and pointing at the caramelized apples and fluffy clouds of bright pink cotton candy, but this time I sunk my nose deeper in the glass. Rapidly, the fragrance transitions through a beautiful range of fragrances, starting sweet with brown sugar and raw cane sugar, following with allspice, apricot, peach, orange, blackcurrant and white raisins. My patience begins to dwindle and I take a swift gulp. An explosion of sweet fruit coats the palate, balanced by a springy sourness and a dollop of cream. Apricot and hints of Gruyère lend a funky fruit flavor, enthusiastically accompanied by tangy yogurt. The fruit is full of sunshine evoking, red apples, white grapes, peach, orange, raspberry and red groseilles. Vanilla ice cream acts as a rich and cool counterweight giving the finishing touch of banana its thickness. The sweet and sour combination is precisely tuned and a pulpy apple texture leaves the palate satisfied. The only complaint that to me resonates throughout Tomme Arthur’s oeuvre, and particularly this brew, is the decidedly over-oaked flavor which I am afraid is invading the American beer market as it already has the wine. The inception of an American Sour Ale, if I may call it so, is on the other hand very exciting, especially as it takes root in the tuns of brewers around the country. A pioneering success!

4.0 Tasted at woodshop 2 gathering, older bottle shared by cquiroga. Fruit,oak aroma, quite tart, but tamer than expected from the aroma. Earthiness, sour, some light fruits, quite drinkable and refreshing.

3.3 Poured a really cloudy yellow orange color with not much of a head. at all. Aroma was of a sour citrus flavor. Had a sweet tartness to it. Not too bad but didnt seem to be as special as made out to be. Had some funkiness to his.

3.6 A heartfelt thank you to cquiroga for providing this lovely drink to two humble college drinkers. Pours with a loose, light orange spongy head and a semi-cloudy marigold body. Actually, it looks a bit like I dumped a jar of orange marmalade into my glass. The dazzling head evaporates rapidly, but for a good cause. Immediately the charming aroma of the Le Woody bursts forth like an eager flower blossom, whipping up a delectable whirlwind of sweet cream, vanilla, orange-sickle, tangy yogurt, some banana, marshmallow and graham crackers. It’s the ultimate childhood dessert all at once. The conjured memories of my juvenile addiction to sugar come back, complete with the consequential stomach aches and the most assured path to diabetes in my grayer years. These are all sugars and sweets, but they’re light and digestable, as springtime postprandial delights should be. No longer able to abide by the decorum of the solemn beer tasting scene I lap up the first inch of beer hoping the sweet, citrus colored liquid can satisfy my hunger for madeleine memories. I find no satisfaction, nor sweet succor. It is flat and flimsy, like a well used paper plate. The flavors carry the day here. A light crisp tanginess, curiously like the aptly named Tang, and a generic sort of sourness introduce the beer. Sweet orange and sweet cream follow, adorned in beautiful sparkling gowns that quickly give the palate the remedy it needs. It is refreshing, and my stomach is pleased. Le Woody’s aftertaste is strange in that it echoes, like a cry in silence, but is nowhere to be found. Perhaps it’s because the aftertaste is so light, or so insubstantial, but it strikes me as more artistic and finely crafted than that. It is merely a wisp of flavor. By itself the Le Woody is somewhat tame and unexciting. Fine for a sultry day at the park, perhaps, but not very well suited to the rigorous demands of a sit down brew pub scene. It would go splendidly with pork, especially in the company of an orange marinade. The sweetness of Le Woody is light, cautious and natural – the kind of sugar that would go well with a dessert prepared with fresh fruits and creams. Or in this case a main course accompanied by a fruity marinade or even a sauce. In this setting the Le Woody would really shine, and as such should grace the dining table cloth more frequently than the bar.

4.0 CT7 Bottle shared by moejuck. Yellow pour with no head. Aroma of lemonzest, sour, brett, and pale malt. Flavors of oak, malt, light floral elements and sour. Medium light body osur and lightly sweet throughout with a dry/osur finish.

4.3 Bottle courtesy of Cquiroga, thanks! Plenty of caramel and a definite light sour aroma. Golden body. Medium to full palate for a belgian. Nice sour flavor up front. The entire taste is subdued really--which is fine with me--nothing out of balance out all here. Tastes almost like a gueze--except less sour. Very enjoyable experience.

4.0 750ml bottle shared by moejuck & spector at columbus tasting 7 - Pours cloudy amber with a short offwhite head. Aromas of tart lemon like funk, yeast and bread. Flavor of lemon, oak, bread, yeast, some winelike flavor as well. And a touch of spice before the finish. Quite smooth and easy to drink with a somewhat tart finish. Interesting brew

4.2 Thanks to Joe and Jason for the chance at this beer. Shared at C-bus tasting. Pours a yellow orange body with a little inkling of white cream colored head. This was a lot more sour and funky then I was expecting, but it was very good. Some yeasty characteristics came through as well with a little spice in the mix. Really enjoyable stuff...now we just have to find a way to get the Le Woody Brune.

4.1 C-Bus 7 Bottle shared by moejuck: Pours a hazy gold with no head. Aroma, pale malts, yeasty, spices, some light funk. Flavor, pale malts, bready yeast, some light fruits and spice. A little bit of bretty funk to it. Pretty good.

4.3 Hazy dark orange body, lasting small bubbled creamy head; Huge great nose, deep, complex and amazing, lots of ripe yellow fruit (plum, apple etc), spicy cinnamon notes, wooden brett touch behind; Big deep and complex sour body, slightly salty, slightly dry and a very little sweet, Great; Very long fruity vinous brett dry finish with lots of the same aromas as found in the nose. What an amazing beer!!! Thanks Jeppe.

4.6 Golden-orange in colour, lingering thin white head, some lacing. The aroma is very gueuze like, quite tart and sour, lots of barnyard qualities, nothing like I was expecting. The flavour is also quite gueuze-like, tart and sour (not quite as much as Cantillon or 3 Fonteinen), acidic citrus. Quite bitter mouthfeel turning more acidic and tart, medium body, high carbonation. Finishes highly acidic, long and very refreshing. One of the most unusual but at the same time original beers that I have had in a long time. Phenomenal. 750ml bottle obtained in a trade with DarkElf, thanks Stephen. Bottle #166.