Cherry Flanders Red (2017) - Tasting Notes

I made up this Cherry Flanders Red last year using two batches of beer which had aged more than 2 years each and then let them age on 12 lbs of sour cherries for more than 6 months.  This is my second attempt at the style (read about the first here).  This time I opted for a different blend than I used for this year's plain batch.  I chose beers that were relatively mild in flavor knowing that the cherries would lend quite a bit of complexity and sourness to the beer.

Some changes from last time:  I used sour cherries for the batch which have an interesting flavor but not the classic cherry flavor so I used a bit of black cherry juice to supplement.  My first attempt got very dry which hurt the drinkability a bit so I've added dark invert syrup to backsweeten and than pasteurized the beer once it had carb'd up.

Cherries get along really well with a Flanders Red as the base beer normally has a cherry like fermentation character.  I picked cherries again this year and plan to make another batch of this soon.

Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Very fruity aroma with a hint of balsamic vinegar.  Get a bit of earthy brett character mixed in as well.  Maybe a bit of alcohol comes through.
• Appearance:
• Brownish red in color.  Pours with a finder of head which dissipates down to nothing in a few seconds.  Pours reasonably clear normally but for this tasting I dumped in the dregs.
• Flavor:
• Up front the flavor matches the aroma with a strong fruit flavor mixed with a hint of acetic acid.  The finish has a good balance between sweet and sour.  There's a bit of brett character mixed in as well as a bit of malt flavor the lingers through the finish.  The cherry flavor is very nice in this one and I think that is accentuated by the fermentation character.  I think I may also detect some slightly nutty character which I suspect could be the cherry pits.
• Mouthfeel:
• Medium-light bodied and fairly dry.  The sourness is prickly.  It is an easy drinking beer with good refreshment value.
• Overall:
• Bold flavored with a really striking complexity.  The cherries play very well in this beer and are the obvious star of the show.  The acetic character the beer developed supports the overall package in my opinion.  I also think the slight sweetness from the backsweetening makes this a much more drinkable beer.