Robin Shepard
The Great Dane hasn’t been known for making sour fruit beers. However, one of its special summer releases may change that perception. Belgian Brett Apricot Ale is a bright golden-colored ale. It’s light, crisp, and dry, and quite ideal for summer.
What is it? Belgian Brett Apricot Ale from Great Dane Pub and Brewery-Hilldale.
Style: Sours have become popular in recent years, with profiles that feature sour, acidic and tart flavors. Sometimes when wild yeasts are used, these beers take on an earthy mustiness referred to as funk. They are a broad category of beers that cover a range of styles, colors and strengths. When a brewer adds fruit, like apricot, it’s usually in an effort to soften and/or complement the sour and tart character.
Background: This is a beer with welcoming sourness. It combines the fruity sweetness of apricot with the acidic earthiness of wild yeast (Brettanomyces or simply Brett). Brewer Nate Zukas “didn’t want to make the Brett so forward that it would be too intense.” Even with its funkiness, he thinks it should appeal to many drinkers.
While this beer has the background of a light-bodied golden ale, its yeastiness and fruity apricot qualities make it something much more. Zukas fermented it with a blend of cultured Belgian yeast that lends floral and mild stone fruit sweetness of its own, along with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, which contributes earthy, musty qualities. Zukas uses pilsner, pale and aromatic malts, along with a small addition of wheat and oats for a soft mouthfeel. Over 420 pounds of apricot puree was added to a 14-barrel batch. With all that goes into this beer it’s expensive to brew. Zukas compares it to the cost of making a big malty barleywine.
Zukas drew inspiration from Avery Brewing’s apricot sour: “I really like apricots, and I was shooting for a beer with little or no hop character, one that’s all about yeast and fruit.”
The Great Dane’s Belgian Brett Apricot Ale finishes at 5.5 percent ABV. It sells in the brewery’s taproom for $6.50/glass and $9/crowler. It is available only at the Hilldale brewpub.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Hints of earthy spiciness with just a touch of mustiness. Just enough to let you know you’re drinking a Brett-fermented beer.
- Appearance: Golden color with a slight orange tint. Hazy and bubbly. The off-white head is big and dense at first; however, it dissipates quickly due to the Brett.
- Texture: Light- to medium-bodied, crisp and dry in the finish.
- Taste: The fruity apricot’s subtle sweetness come in first. Then there’s Brett sourness with earthy-mustiness and touch of spiciness.
- Finish/Aftertaste: A wave of apricot comes back in, along with crisp bubbly dryness.
Glassware: The tulip glass is great for this beer because the outward flare of the lip allows the aroma of apricot and yeast to emerge under the nose.
Pairs well with: grilled seafood, especially shrimp and scallops.
The Verdict: Belgian Brett Apricot Ale is an ideal beer for summer with sharp, crisp sourness that melds very well with the subtle sweetness of apricot. This beer has made me a fan of sours complemented with stone fruits. While this is not assertively tart, there’s plenty here for seasoned sour fans, as well as those looking for an entry into the genre of wild yeast flavor and aroma.