Preamble: Brettanomyces, a yeast, is a hotly debated subject in the world of wine. “Brett,” as it is called, is considered by many winemakers an olfactory and palate defect in red wine. Other winemakers and critics champion [or tolerate it] in small doses, but brett is hard to contain or harness, so winemakers spend great lengths and financial resources to eradicate it.  I’ve heard that the ultra-prestigious Vega-Sicilia estate in Ribera del Duero spent a fortune renovating their facilities to make absolutely certain that brett could not infest their wines.

What does Brettanomyces taste and smell like? Descriptors include: barnyard, stable, smoky, spicy, horsy, bandage, cheesy, sweaty, wet animal, leathery, medicinal, and rancid. For me, I like to encounter a hint of brett on occasion; it adds a type of rustic complexity to wines. Bear in mind, flaws can be poignant sometimes.

As the battle of brett rages on in the two camps: “some brett is good” vs. “even a little brett is a flaw,” the only convincing argument I’ve read for its eradication is one: since all red wines on earth are susceptible to Brettanomyces, which affects smell and taste [causing “rustic complexity” as I call it], then wines lose their typicité.  Think of typicité as the grape or wine in its place. This is what makes a Napa Cab a Napa Cab and Bordeaux a Bordeaux and so on.  So, if brett is present, typicité is lost because you’re left with smelling brett, not the wine from a specific place. This is the argument made by Pascal Chatonnet, a pioneer tackling the brett problem of Bordeaux wines in Jamie Goode’s The Science of Wine. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2005.

Yes, it is difficult for me to refute this argument, but that’s the wine world. How does brett relate to beer? Lambic ales from Belgium are spontaneously fermented with ambient Brettanomyces yeast and the resultant beers are vinous and sour, but Geuze and fruit Lambics are not what I would call “bretty,” per se.  My first encounter with a real Brettanomyces-forward ale was tasting Russian River Brewing Co.’s Supplication. I was like: “That’s sour, that’s bretty, that’s crazy good!”

Sorry for the long preamble, but as a sommelier, I have to explain a little bit about Brettanomyces, my experience with brett, and where I fall on the “Brett Good”/ “Brett Bad” Continuum.  I can only say this for certain: I’m glad I don’t have the same apprehensions as a winemaker.  They have so many concerns and obstacles in a given year to make their wines, and I’m sure it’s beyond frustrating when some critic or lab-coat calls your wine a brett-bomb.

Back to the beer: What if you hung your hat on Brettanomyces? You considered it a blessing and not a flaw. You sought to harness it; in fact, you’re hoping it does give your final product its typicité.  You’re championing it. You’re marketing under its banner. This seems to be the quest of Gabe and Jacenda Fletcher and their labor of love, Anchorage Brewing Company. 

The color is a copper-orange, slightly cloudy, high effervescence of fine bubbles; the head is firm, thick and sticky. The bouquet is as complex in a beer as I’ve ever encountered and behaves much like an aged wine, changing much in the glass over the course of an hour and a half. At first, it’s upfront sour fresh red cherry, but this dissipates quickly to yield orange peel, clove, nutmeg, dried laurel, sweaty leather saddle, cooked meat, dried roses, dried mint, mint oil, orange oil, lemon peel, orange pith, wet gauze, lemon wax, dried lavender, cut-in-mouth blood, peppermint oil, ripe tangerine, bee pollen and hay.

The palate displays the bouquet nuances to a tee with the gamey nuances weaving in and out of the botanical, fruit, bitter pith and peel notes. The weight or body is full, similar to Chimay Cinq Cents.  This is a finely wrought and complex, yet absolutely refreshing, beer with a long finish of peppermint, chamomile, tangerine oil, game and lavender; plus Love Buzz hides its 8% abv well.

I purchased the 750ml bottle of Anchorage Brewing Company Love Buzz, to-go at Bailey’s Taproom, enjoyed it at home in a Spiegelau brandy snifter, ½ full at around 60-degrees.The last glass from the bottle was paired with a cheese and heirloom tomato with saffron salt pizza.

Final thought: If Brettanomyces is difficult to control, like a winemaker not being able to control the weather, then brewing with brett should yield variations from batch to batch, just as vintage variations in wine. This is a good thing and the mark of a truly non-commercial, artisanal product. I look forward to tasting Batch #2 when released.

Anthony Garcia
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