Eight Degrees The Oak King

Origin: Ireland | Date: 2017 | ABV: 6.5% | On The Beer Nut: December 2017

Around this time every year the Eight Degrees press parcel would arrive: a box of bottles, cans and merch involving whatever special winter seasonal they had on the go at the time. I couldn't tell you if this bottle of their 2017 Brettanomyces-fermented barrel-aged pale ale came in one of those. I loved it on its release so it's entirely possible that I bought it. I notice from my notes at the time that the complexity of the bottled version outstripped that of the draught one. So how would it be after five years of maturation?

It looks pretty much the same as fresh: clear and coppery. It seems like nobody makes beer that looks like this any more. The wine barrel is still apparent in the aroma; the soft white grape sitting next to a promise of spicy Brett fireworks. That's not what materialises on tasting, however. The main feature is a rather dull and earthy farmyard funk, dusted with old-lady perfume of lavender and lilac. It's fine, but it's not what I thought five years of deathless Brett maturation would bring.

I guess what's happened is the same thing that happens to Orval: it dries out as the Brett keeps chomping. The result is subtle, but very much lacks the fun, fresh and fruity characteristics of the original. Your mileage may vary, but aged isn't how I best enjoy beers like this, given a preference.