La Sirene - Farmhouse Red Sour

"Farmhouse Fed is a hibiscus & rose petal red sour ale.

Part of the spirit of farmhouse brewing is about the brewer working with the ingredients locally and seasonally available to them. Historically, the farmhouse-made beers of southern Belgium would have featured spices, herbs and floral additions. Not many records exist from the original farmhouse ales, but it is safe to imagine that one of those additions was rose, common to that part of Europe. Farmhouse Red serves as a nod to these floral additions, using rose petals along with our Australian answer to roses - the Hibiscus flower.

We've taken cues from the centuries-old traditions of floral additions and a grain bill akin to a Belgian red ale. This, combined with our own instinctive approaches to brewing sour ales, makes Farmhouse Red a highly unique and modern beer.

METHOD
A grain bill of several specialty malts provides the canvas for this farmhouse-style red sour ale.

Farmhouse Red is naturally soured using a unique wild caught strain of souring bacteria caught within our brewery. It undergoes a primary fermentation in open-topped French oak puncheons, further drawing on the influence of airborne wild yeast and bacteria.

The beer is fermented along with fresh organic whole Hibiscus flowers and rose petals grown in the iconic Byron Bay region, contributing fruity and floral characteristics and this beer's brilliant red colour.

TASTE
Be sure to pour this beer into a glass as its deep red colour and pink head is a feast for the eyes!

Floral notes of rose and hibiscus are evident, along with ripe cherry, earthy characters and a touch of oak. The palate features a balanced interplay of sourness against a background of malt sweetness. Prominent flavours of cranberry, plum and spice dance around the palate, providing a sensory illusion - you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a fruited beer! Smooth and bright with a finishh that is dry, vinous and ultimately refreshing.

A great year-round sour ale - the malty backbone you seek in winter, and the sangria-like fruit & spice to enjoy on a bright summer's day!" -La Sirene

Style / Variety: Farmhouse Ale 
Region: Reservoir, VIC
ABV: 5.5%
Vol: 330ml