Happy Place
Brewery: Hedgehog Brewing
Style: Farmhouse Ale with Peaches (Wild Specialty Beer 28C)
Package: 500ml Bottle
Purchased: Whichcraft, April, 2020
Canned Date: Dec 31, 2019
Consumed Date: April 6, 2020
Details From the Brewer
ABV: 7%
Best described as Peach Cobbler with a kick.
Review
Aroma – 8/12
Heavy stone fruit pops in the nose. It isn’t so much the fuzzy exterior, but the inside flesh of the fruit. A low-medium acidity with a lactic/yogurt vibe. There’s a wildflower brett character that integrates into the smell as well. Moderate fresh bread dough malt character as well.
Appearance – 2/3
Pours a bright yellow liquid. A thick haze blocks any clarity, but it’s not thick and murky. Small white bubbles compose a thin head, that quickly fades to a thin ring. Carbonation jumps out of the glass as it pours.
Flavor – 16/20
A moderate-high stonefruit jumps out first. Not quite the same level on the nose, but a nice level of peach. There’s a touch of skin tannin as well. This is quickly met with a bit high intensity acidity. While sharp, it has a lactic character and isn’t acetic. Floral brett flavors come out In the mid-taste with an assertive dryness. Low bitterness. The malt character is a bit more grainy than the aroma, but still dough forward. There’s a bit of earthy funk as a background flavor towards the end of the taste. Peach flavor lingers after the finish.
Mouthfeel – 5/5
Medium bodied, but very soft throughout the taste. Almost creamy at points. This is punctuated by some sharpness on the finish from the acidity. Medium-high carbonation. Slight alcohol warmth in the throat.
Overall Impression – 8/10
This is a nice stone-fruit sour. The peach character comes through well, which is hard to accomplish due to its subtlety. The acidity isn’t overpowering either, and is well in balance with the rest of the beer. While there are no off-flavors, it doesn’t have the complexity that you’d see in the best versions of the style. The floral brett character will probably increase as it ages, but some additional notes or varied acid types would help give this more depth. That said, I’d love to drink this paired with some spicy food!
Rating – 39/50
I’ve had a few samples of Hedgehog’s beer, but never a full serving before. This was a great first impression. There are numerous ways to mess up sour beer, so it’s nice to see a fresh brewery put out a quality one. I know it took them a while to find a location, first looking in Southwest Austin. Hopefully they do well in their Cedar Park spot.
