Herevana – #187 – Wilderness – Halcyon

Beer 187 in the Herevana list - from the cellar of beers I was hoping to share but don’t have the will-power not to drink is a Wilderness Brewing - Halcyon – brewed in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand 🇳🇿 as a Sour Flemish Ale – Flanders Red / Oud Bruin with an 8.2% ABV and 20 IBU. This is 2.4 Standard drinks in New Zealand.

All MrsPhil was worried about the lack of cheese eating so brought crisps over as well, sometimes a beer will distract you, see the review of Russet and you’ll understand .

The Halcyon should have a big brandy note about it. I again read the label.

Ok, What I wasn’t prepared for was a cork, stand by…. (note that it does mention on the label that it has a cork, did not read that bit)

Right, having wrestled that out, with a bit of a pop, I then almost fainted with with stunning aroma, gosh.

The aroma of deep intense fruits in this, just from the bottle are wild!

A muddy plum coloured pour with little head retention. The big glass does no favours to the aroma, it seems a bit lost in such space, but you do get the pip-fruit sourness with is pleasing.

Oh, that’s silky smooth velvet drinking, a lovey soft plum over an equally soft carry. Superb. 

Sitting in all that space it gathers itself and presses forward wth some quiet boldness, the softness becomes harder and the body firmer, it makes it better, more intense and at the same time easier to enjoy.

Quite hard to put into words about just how quietly intense this is, a lot of plums, and I don’t drink Brandy enough but that super nice sweetness and flavour, it is something special.

There should always be room in your beer adventures to enjoy a beer like this , it really is good beer.

The Pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 10 on the arbitrary number scale. Two in a row, there’s a reason they were in the cellar, and I was supposed to share them and the enjoyment, seems quite selfish now. These are extraordinary and most excellent beers, I’ve had such a good afternoon.

Music: I’ve been a fan for a while so it’s nice to have new old music – The Teskey Brothers – The Circle Session (short) album

Herevana beers are those I drink at home, I’m not at some beer festival, like, for instance, Beervana, but am just in my kitchen, usually, dining room table, sometimes, or outside, occasionally, where I can take an average picture and write in real time about the beer that I’ve invested in, both in a monetary and emotional way.

Philip himself.

Halcyon – A flemish style red aged for one year in an ex wine barrel before being transferred to an ex brandy barrel on Waitaki valley plums for another 12 months

Brewers Notes

Sour Flemish Ale – Flanders Red / Oud Bruin

The Flanders Red Ale, also known as Flemish Red Ale and Belgian Sour Red Ale, is deep red/burgundy to reddish-brown colored, sour, fruity, red wine-like Belgian-style ale with interesting supportive malt flavors and fruit complexity. The dry finish and tannin makes it more wine-like than any other beer style. Similarly, the Oud Bruin, also know as Belgian Sour Brown Ale is a dark reddish-brown to brown, malty, fruity, aged, subtle-sour Belgian-style brown ale. A deeper malt character distinguishes the Oud Bruin from Flemish Red ale. The Oud Bruin is less acetic and maltier than a Flemish Red, and the fruity flavors are more malt-oriented while the Flemish Red have more of a fruity-tart profile.