The arrival of a new Stone & Wood @counterculturebeer beer is always exciting, but Lovely Bubbly Brut Rosé even more so, as it comes as part of the first delivery of the @stoneandwood Beer Club. With a cool hat and two great glasses, as well as regular beery deliveries, it’s the type of club I like! Thank you so much Lizzy from Stone & Wood for our membership 🙏 .
I’m a wine lover almost as much as a beer lover, so when my two alcoholic vices are combined, it really interests me. Brut is a term usually attached to Champagne, denoting a dry wine. Not only is there Champagne yeast used in this beer, but Chardonnay juice, one of the three grapes generally used in the production of Champagne. While Rosé wines are made use the skins of red grapes to create colour, Counter Culture have of course twisted this, and used strawberries to add the pink blush and flavour profile. It’s a sour beer, with some strawberry sweetness and drying yeast, all working together to create a beer that’s difficult to describe but delicious to drink. Great can art too, with the wonderful Art Deco design. Counter Culture have done it again.
Can. Pours with good clarity through a beautiful light rosé pink, with a frothy Champagne style head that dissipates quickly but laces nicely, along with a cascading explosion of bubbles. Wonderful sweet strawberry aromas, backed by the acid of lactobacillus and vinous notes of Champagne yeast and Chardonnay grapes. Moderate to mouth puckering tartness to begin, full of lactobacillus and raspberry, which moves towards a sweet strawberries and cream middle. Just as it threatens to become too sweet, it quickly dries thanks to the champagne yeast and showcases the vinous notes of the Chardonnay and hints of lemony citrus. There’s no real bitterness to speak of. Given the style, it could probably do with a few more bubbles on the palate, but only a small quibble.
4/5. Trent.