Wicked Weed Brewing La Bonte with Figs
What the brewers say
“La Bonte is open-fermented with our house Brettanomyces culture, then blended with a portion of Golden Sour and onto a half pound per gallon of whole figs. La Bonte is then aged in our Foeder until it reaches perfection.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Figs are there somewhere, but it’s difficult to pick them up over the intense phenols. As the beer warms and degasses, the intense phenolics back off, opening it to more conventional farmhouse aromas.”
Flavor: “A tart fruity initial impression. Figs, or is that cherry Jolly Rancher? Brett offers a grounding woodiness, and fortunately it tastes much better than it smells. A significant amount of funk, but in a good way—a punch of acidity to complement the light maltiness and subtle fig taste.”
Overall: “Classic saison with a subtle touch of extra acid and fruit from the fig plus earthy tannins that help make the beer seem even more attenuated. The acidity might be a little high for some, but the balance works. The Brett needs a couple more months to break this beer in, but it has the base for a solid funky farmhouse beer.”
