Belgian Rebellions 

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• Mike Riedel

Epic - Flower Power Sour: There aren't a lot of local breweries that utilize foeders to aid in their fermentation of beer. If you're not familiar with the term, foeder (pronounced FOOD-er) is the Dutch word for a large oak tank where beer is fermented. Traditionally, foeders were used to store wine; today, they are also used by breweries to ferment both clean and wild beer, while adding pleasant oak notes. To my knowledge, Epic, SaltFire and the Templin Family Brewery are the only locals that make beer utilizing this Old-World method.

One of Epic's latest foeder sours, the Flower Power Sour, is pale orange in color, a little thin in body but with a short and lasting white head from the tap, just short of clear with some haze. The aroma is piquant with some lemon, orange and white wine elements to it, a hit of fading pale malt and oxidation, earthy minerals, oak tannins and lactic pucker.

The flavor features all of this, plus an identifiable but subtle note of passion fruit. I like it being authentic and more tangy than sweet, almost all of it in the finish. The beer is sharp but not caustic, and the high carbonation helps keep it from being too much; there is an underlying woody sort of mellow layer here that brings some balance. It's not too vinegar-forward, and with just enough natural passion fruit character for this to be modern at the same time that it's very classic—Old and New Worlds coming together in a rather drinkable sour.

Overall: I thought this 6.5 percent sour was quite good amd unexpected, but it seems like Epic has been doing more and more flavored stuff in recent years. It's a cool one to find in a 16-oz. can, and I will be picking up a few more of these, for sure.

Bewilder - Tripel: Tripels are one of the more infamous of the strong beers. They normally utilize candied sugars to add to the alcohol levels without sacrificing malt sweetness and body. This beer pours a bit "clear" for the style's typical amber/gold. An excellent rocky head quickly dissipates to fine lacing throughout, and it's very effervescent bubbling for the style. The aromas are a mixture of classic tripel—banana/phenols, bready biscuity yeast—mixed with tropical or light stone fruits (peach? apricot?). Unique, but inviting.

The flavor is to the dry end of the spectrum for this style (especially the first sips), but not bitter by any means. "Crisp" is a more apt word. The phenolic and fruity notes (again, I'm thinking lighter stone fruits, like peach, nectarine, apricot) are balanced by white pepper, slightly medicinal or herbal notes, and warming booziness (but no bite). If at first the brew strikes you as too dry, bitter or otherwise not quite "true" to the style, make sure you take your time and enjoy the brew as it warms. As the temperature comes up, some of the dryness gives way, and the malts, fruits, breads and overall sweetness start to shine through. It's an enjoyable quaff to sip and take in as the flavors mature through the temperature changes.

Overall: A damn fine take on the style that is another win for one of my favorite brewers. Though it's perhaps a little dry and hoppy for a tripel purist, especially for the first few sips, I've had few other brews that morph and improve as much as this one did through the gradual temperature change. Sit back and enjoy this 9.5 percent brew or, perhaps better yet, start this one off a little closer to room temperature than you normally would for the style.

You'll find Bewilder's Tripel at the brewery for sure, as well as some of SLC's better beer pubs in 16-oz. cans. Epic's brewery in SLC (and Denver too) is your best bet for Flower Power Sour, but it is also popping up in various beer pubs around the state. As always, cheers!