Year of New Beer: Jessamine County, West 6th Brewing (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 10/16/2015

Nearly 220 years ago, Jean-Jacques Dufour planted the first vineyard in Kentucky on 600 acres in what is now Jessamine County. By the late 1800's, Kentucky was the the third largest grape and wine producer in the United States. Alas, Prohibition crushed the industry, and tobacco became the undisputed King of cash crops in the Bluegrass. Mr. Dufour would undoubtedly be surprised to find that the grape has made a comeback in the Commonwealth some two centuries later. Perhaps more surprising would be what's going on with those spent wine barrels at the hands of the mad scientists in the brewing industry. Which brings us to the latest release of the Limited Edition County Series from West 6th. Taking a relatively subdued hibiscus Belgian witbier, the guys have turned it on its edge by aging it for over a year in Syrah red wine barrels. And for an extra kick? A little lactobacillus brevis. The result is, to me anyway, a departure from pretty much everything to come out of the old Bread Box to this point. The nose is initially tart and unmistakably red wine. Further inspection and warmth reveals dark berries, traces of leather, and lightly spiced oak. Only near the end of the bottle do I begin to get faint hints of the sweet hibiscus and wheat associated with the base beer. When the beer hits the tongue it's go-time for the lacto as a pleasantly tart sensation grips the taste buds, coming off as unripened berries and mild citrus pith. Drying tannins arrive mid-palate, along with a touch of black pepper and more of the oak vessel characteristics. Having developed a taste for more tart, sour type beers over the last year, I found this one to be very enjoyable, and an excellent segue for the wine drinker looking to explore the beer side of the aisle. I would love to see what a little time in the bottle will do for this beer, and I hope the guys continue to push the envelope like this as the County Series continues. So head on down to West 6th this Monday at 5pm and give your taste buds a little jolt, but don't wait too long, this one's very limited!