Pinot Fresa from Angel City Brewery is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood Aged Beer (Category 33B) from the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.
Pinot Fresa is a golden ale aged in pinot noir barrels with strawberries added. The strawberries are evident in the aroma as a soft, candied strawberry and are the first element to greet the drinker. Light vanilla and earthy horse blanket Brettanomyces quickly follow like a pleasantly aromatic barnyard. A tartness is also noticeable in the aroma. Light bready malt emerges late to round out the complexity, along with a light red wine-like character.
The flavor follows with a moderately high and clean lactic sourness and more candied strawberries. The strawberries are again soft and not a dominant character, but contribute to the overall complexity. Light strawberry seeds weave their way in along with a light bready malt character that emerges mid-palate, lasting into the dry finish. The Brettanomyces is a bit lighter in the flavor and quite complementary. A light red wine character develops in the aftertaste. The complex fruit, sourness and wild yeast combine to create a complex and quite enjoyable barrel aged beer.
Pinto Fresa is a well-brewed barrel-aged fruit beer. Perhaps a slight taming of the lactic sourness would create a more balanced beer, but only slightly. Quite refreshing and one that should not be passed up.