#craftbbeer

The Bruery Sucre, 16.9% abv

The attractively presented beers from Orange County's The Bruery are a rare sight on these shores, so imagine my delight when I stumbled across this vision of loveliness at a local apothecary (amongst the healing elixirs donchaknow). I immediately decided had to have it despite the rather extortionate amount of groats they were asking, and soon I was cycling the penny-farthing home with a weighted basket and light wallet.

Sucre is The Bruery's 6th anniversary ale. It's loosely based on an English old ale, fermented with their own Belgian yeast strain, and blended using the solera method whereby each anniversary ale is added to a blend of those that came before it (and has been barrel aging all this time). This is then aged again, mine in bourbon barrels though there are other varieties out there, and some will be put aside for next years anniversary brew in order to continue its beery evolution. Sounds pretty special right? 

Time to try it then, after I've battled my way through that lovely waxed top that is. The pour is dark, almost black until held to the light whereby its beautiful, deepest of red colouring becomes apparent. The aroma is already making me sigh and I haven't even performed my nose hole exercises! Huge fruity notes erupt from the glass, plums, dates, raisins, there's an unmistakable bourbon kick, lashings of caramel, just spectacular. 

A sip. Crikey. it's like bourbon caramel sauce poured over stewed stone fruits. It's certainly sweet, but not at all sickly, those massive fruity notes from the plums, raisins, and dates are joined by rows of fig newtons and an entire slab of rich, all butter toffee, there's whole vanilla pods and a deep woodiness, the bourbon pulling no punches. The level of complexity is extraordinary, layer after layer of intense fruity magnificence unveils itself in all it's glory upon my tongue. That generous amount of alcohol is certainly noticeable but never overpowering.