From the Beer Writer: They’re best known for various takes on dessert stouts and “murky’ IPAs, but in my opinion, the brew crew at Pure Project Brewing‘s most successful offerings are their barrel-aged sour ales. And of that oak-laced stock, one of the finest is a Flanders-style red ale called Roes Red. I fell for this beer when the Miramar-based brewery first released it in stylish French bottles dipped in scarlet wax. So did judges at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, where it earned a bronze medal in the Belgian-style Lambic or Sour Ale category. Tart yet balanced by a melange of woody, vinous notes from the wine and whiskey barrels it was matured in, this beer is right at home in its specialized stemware. It’s a fine creation meant to be sipped, savored, contemplated, and cherished; the type of expertly-crafted, doted-over standout that’s worthy of a love letter on Valentine’s Day. XOXO
From the Brewer: “I fell in love with sour beer when I was living in Bordeaux and tried a Flanders red at a beer bar there. When I got home, I wanted to try brewing one, so I began a yeast culture which has actually been moving with me for the last ten years! I even had to save it from a fire in the cellar at the brewery where I used to work. After a decade of selection, this yeast has become its own unique blend designed specifically to work well in light-bodied, fruity red-wine barrels. And it is from this yeast blend that Roes Red was born at Pure Project. I named it after the Belgian town of Roeselare where the Flanders red style originally developed. Aged in French Oak from Napa Valley, it features a complex malt background of dark dates and figs, showcasing a bright cherry aroma over sour lactic and acetic strains.”—Winslow Sawyer, Head Brewer & Partner, Pure Project Brewing