Last weekend, Bend’s Crux Fermentation Project celebrated its eighth anniversary with a lower-key party than usual in this COVID-19 era and a release of a special anniversary lager. As a nod and a tip of the hat to one of the region’s best breweries, here are reviews of two of this year’s [Banished] series of barrel aged beers from Crux, Ribbon of Darkness and Bramble Candy.

The [Banished] series was introduced in 2013, featuring barrel-aged specialty beers that are “banished” into barrels for some amount of time (until the beer is done). Early releases in the series included Freakcake (an Oud Bruin), Doublecross (strong Belgian dark), and Tough Lough (imperial stout). The series has expanded and refined over the years into a wide variety of offerings, including rustic saisons, wild ales, wheat wines, and of course sour ales and imperial porters.

Ribbon of Darkness Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter

I’d been holding on to the Ribbon of Darkness Crux gave me last December, as at 10.3% ABV it can easily stand up to a bit of aging. This imperial porter was aged in bourbon barrels for nine months before being released in 500ml bottles. I see it’s currently on tap at Crux though I don’t know how long it will last.

Appearance: It’s the dark brown color of bottle glass, near coffee black in the snifter glass and opaque. The tan head poured to one finger in height, with fine bubbles and decent legs.

Smell: Bourbon notes and wood, vanilla, and dark roasted grains with some deeply fruity esters, evoking plums and booze. Chocolate, molasses, and some oak char notes.

Taste: Roasty and boozy, with a nice woody note that goes into slightly sweet bourbon and a grainy flavor without any astringency. A creamy character complements the dark (almost burnt) sugars, caramelized dark fruits, and the roasty liqueur flavors (think coffee, dark chocolate, light smoke). Quite rich and dessert-like.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with a sweet creaminess that wants to dry at the finish but gives way to bourbon vanilla sugar.

Overall: This is quite nice and deserves high marks. There’s an accomplished handling of barrels in the aging of Ribbon of Darkness, which grant this beer a creamy, rich bourbon note without ever going astringent or harsh.

Bramble Candy Barrel-Aged Blackberry Sour Ale

This bottle came to me from the brewery more recently and goes in a different direction than Ribbon of Darkness. The description says:

After months ripening in red wine barrels with a tangled blend of brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus, we infused our wild farmhouse ale with a tart twist in the form of Oregon blackberries. Dripping with juicy berry notes balanced by a funky earthiness, this creative mix of wild cultures is a sour beer lover’s delight.

It’s 7.5% ABV, and the bottle also lists T.A. (total acidity) of 6.8 g/l. I don’t know what that translates to in pH but this was quite a sour ale indeed.

Appearance: Brilliant red-violet color (magenta really), with a nice clarity (though got some haze/cloudiness towards the bottom of the bottle). Reminds me of a dark rosé wine. The head is pink and fizzy, and fell quickly.

Smell: Acidic—big acetic acid aroma that’s a little balsamic with a bright, sharp berry note. A bit of blackberry jam comes out too.

Taste: Complex sour flavors up front, with blackberry compote, balsamic vinegar, earthy barnyard funk, and a touch of acetone. It’s bracingly tart and sharp, with a hint of red wine tannins and grape skins. There’s a bit of that blackberry jam sweetness coming out as it warms up, playing well off the balsamic acidity.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium-light body, acidic, puckers the hollows of the cheeks. A tannic dry note and a lingering berry character.

Overall: Blackberry balsamic vinegar with red wine overtones, and a slight barnyard funk and earthiness. Quite acidic which will please sour fans.