Farmhouse Cuvée 2021
Stacked in our cellar at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, individual French oak barrels aging wild beer become anonymous like a blade of grass in a field, blending in among the rows of other nearly identical casks. Worn from former use by local winemakers, their wood is dark, stained with wine, and they show the wear of half a decade formerly aging Pinot Noir. But one stack of barrels in our cellar, with striking American white oak staves and shimmering steel hoops, stands out among the rest.
We welcomed these brand new American oak barrels into our cellar last year to add a more pronounced wood aging character to some of our blends. American oak barrels traditionally impart bolder flavors like clove, vanilla, and coconut, while French oak is more subdued. Blending in aspects of both creates a layered flavor profile and adds great depth to a light ale.
We rested brett saisons for the better part of a year in both varieties of casks, and as the beer aged, the same brews developed distinct flavors in different barrels, from some natural acidity and fruity aromas in some, to more funky, earthy qualities in others.
This season, we took on the feat of blending a balanced beer with a well-rounded oak character from these American and French barrels, and our 2021 version of Farmhouse Cuvée is the product of that work, our first release incorporating a blend from our new American oak.
Making Farmhouse Cuvée was a real exercise in finding balance of acidity and fermentation character, all while paying attention to the new oak character. We tested quite a few trials and decided on a slightly greater proportion of new oak to neutral oak (about 3:2) to effect a vibrant but not overpowering presence.
Dry-hopping this blend with citra hops brightened up the beer with springy notes of citrus. The blend tastes cohesive, with no single flavor taking control, and the harmony of flavors from so many different aspects come together for a refreshing, delicate, barrel-aged beer. Being a small batch, our 2021 Farmhouse Cuvée is the club-only blend for our spring release, meaning the bottles are reserved specifically for Blender’s Circle members.
Farmhouse Cuvée would pair really well with a lighter dish that could use just a splash of acidity to finish, like a Spanish paella or a grilled salmon filet with seasonal vegetables. We hope you enjoy this lovely blend as much as we do!
Cheers!
