Barolo 4 Foedre

This is our “Bug Farm” foedre. Over the years, we've collaborated with a host of super neat, wild fermentation leaning breweries. As we traded wild cultures back and forth, a large proportion of our wood barrel stock became co-inoculated other folks bugs (a catch all term for wild yeasts, bretts, and bacteria) so we decided to lean into it and added all of them to a single foedre to starting our Miscellanea project...which sounds a lot more marketable than 'bug farm.' By collecting all these yeasts it's almost the opposite to the letter of spontaneous fermentation but we're thinking of it regardless as homage to the sorts of lambics that led many of us down this path in the first place.

Miscellanea Vol 4 [2023]

Our Miscellanea beers are an ongoing collaborative project collecting and incorporating the house bretts, native yeasts, and wild cultures from the many wild and mix fermentation breweries around the country near and dear to our hearts into a single foedre. For this fourth version, we’ve added the house wild cultures from our beloved Averie Swanson and her new project, Keeping Together. They join the established wild yeasts and bacterias remaining in the foedre from Central State, Allagash, Jester King, Side Project, and Jackie O’s as well a host of our own wild and native cultures.First blushes of pineapple, tropical guava, and Black Cherry White Claw buttress delicate hues of bruised tangerines and farmers’ market nectarines. A brief dash of lime-like acidity erupts like a barn owl hunting and quickly fade to the quiet after the fury in the dark night, leaving flinty mineral tones and lingering scent of perfumed jasmine in its wake. Long flourishes of Concord grape expressed by the slow, slumbering fermentation of the many Brettanomyces dance along deeper, more vinous notes of Nebbiolo and pay homage to the wine that graced the foedre for the 15 years before we got them from a Piedmonte based winery in Northern Italy. Overall, intricate, and nuanced; an opportunity for reflection and a nod to the complex, somewhat confusing blend of emotions when life and opportunity move an adored friend away. A sense of joy and excitement for their adventure for sure, but coupled with a twinge of childhood like sadness. One must imagine the winemakers felt the same closing the door on the shipping container on these lovely foedres and wishing them “buon viaggio!” on their Trans-Atlantic trip

Miscellanea Vol 3 [2020]

For this third iteration, we’ve added Jackie O’s acidifying microbes they refer to as ‘House Party’ to the established wild yeasts and bacterias remaining in the foedre from Central State, Allagash, Jester King, and Side Project as well a host of our own wild and native cultures. Initial waifs of pineapple, Seville orange and summer flowers shock to a bright nectarine-lime lightning flash of acidity. Crescendoing to raucous, rolling thunder of papaya and black cherry coupled with a deep, rich, lingering vinous body from its long slumber in one of our Italian Barolo foedres

Miscellanea Vol 2 [2019]

Modeled after a super saison with a lighter colored grist bill and a heavier addition of wheat to soften the body and round out the expression. As part of the ever expanding palette of house bretts, native yeasts and wild cultures from Allagash, Central State, Side Project, Jester King, and ourselves carried over from Vol 1, we’ve added an additional laboratory source of Brettanomyces clausennii and our Hellbroth cultures. Vol 2 retains the over-ripe apricot, bergamot, cotton candy and wisps of Nebbiolo grapes further punctuated by explosive notes of Mandarin orange and tepaché. Alluringly tannic and dry, complemented by moderate acidity, barnyard funk and Old World, Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc like minerality.

Miscellanea Vol 1 [2018]

Miscellanea Vol 1 is a tiger hued American Wild Ale with bugs, house bretts, native yeasts and wild cultures from Jester King, Side Project, Central State, Allagash and ourselves. By collecting all these yeasts it's almost the opposite to the letter of spontaneous fermentation but we're thinking of it regardless as homage to the sorts of lambics that led many of us down this path in the first place. Ridiculously complex with over-rippened apricot, bergamot, cotton candy, old growth forest floor, and wisps of Nebbiolo grapes from the foedre itself. Alluringly tannic and dry complemented by moderate acidity and Hanssen's Oude Gueze like, unabashed barnyard funk.