Name: Dream Filter
Brewers: Yeast of Eden, Other Half Brewing Co. (United States)
Style: Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer (Base Style: Saison)
ABV: 6.2%
Review Year: 2021
In 2019, Yeast of Eden (California) hosted Other Half Brewing Company (New York) to create a brew that drew on the unique landscapes of their home states. The result is Dream Filter, a mixed fermentation Saison rested in American white oak foeder for six months and further conditioned on California elderflowers and New York lilacs.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer (26B) with the Saison (25B) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Pale straw with clarity improving as the beer settled; low white head but with good retention. The initial aroma opened up with a fairly strong barnyard-like aroma, with hints of lemon candy, bread, and wild berries. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, and very smooth (no lip-puckering quality). Prominent lime citrus and zest and berries with a medium-low soft and tangy lactic flavor were at the forefront. A distinct yet low oaky/ woody flavor surfaced alongside a delightful impression akin to a blend of coconut and nectar. Bitterness was at a moderately low level, while the finish was on the dry side. Malt backbone was subtly bready and only made its presence known at a warmer state. Aftertaste lingered long with oak, zesty lime, bitterness, herbs, and the indistinct coconut-and-nectar impression. Portions with the yeast sediments yielded harsh acidity together with more prominent citrus and bitterness.
THE VERDICT
Dream Filter is a refreshing and delicate mixed fermentation Saison that evoked the essence of the Spring season. Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beers are fermented typically by Lactobacillus and/or Pediococcus, often with Saccharomyces and/or Brettanomyces, and the noted funkiness (e.g., barnyard, horse blanket, and damp basement) and lactic acidity (e.g., soft, tangy flavor, with lip-puckering quality at higher concentrations) in Dream Filter can be expected from these types of beers.
The influence of the American white oak foeder was evident. While an elderflower gin is familiar to us, a sour beer brewed with lilac and elderflowers is definitely something new. The perceived coconut and nectar flavors added a soothing and pleasant factor to this beer that seemingly tempered the acidity of this beer. As to these qualities being imparted by the flowers, we can only infer. As a Saison, Dream Filter swapped the classic spicy characteristics for the mentioned funkiness and acidity, but with the bitterness and the essentially dry finish still being present. Excellent.
Recommended Reading:
The Difference Between Saison and Farmhouse Ale (The Beer Connoisseur, 2019)
Related Reviews:
Yeast of Eden
Other Half Brewing Company
Craft Beer from the United States
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