One of my summer highlights was rediscovering Sake as wine My Japanese friend and I bartered Sake for wine made from indigenous grapes Now what has this got in common with fresh beer in these pages Surprisingly quite a lot even a terroir connection
SBCs ambitious new venture was founded by a clutch of cosmopolitan partners The guiding lights as to three so far styles of fresh beer are an Austrian consulting brewer an English marketing guru with a penchant for brewing and a Greek oenologist The resident Master Brewer is Boban Krunic who is Serbian and Managing Director is the Californian Magda Anderson I know this sounds like an introduction to a joke In fact this is a serious effort by players brimming with talent and determination In the current economic gloom smiles have been wiped off peoples faces in Greece This effort could not be more timely Something positive to fuel some passion back into our daily lives
In search of my hunting terroir I get to taste unexpected to say the least concoctions A taste apart A white wine of sorts on the island of Evia It was kept in cask made of Cyprus wood Tastewise lets call it a medicinal elixir There is something similar though more sophisticated on the island of Lanzarote As those of you who have followed my writing may know I have never liked beer This massproduced pasteurized stuff is onedimensional lifeless tasteless Whats worse the morning after I wake up with a soapy palate Enough said
This new crazy donkey ale is of limited production No hype here all true Per batch 200 champagne bottles The wine connection comes through two unexpected sources This is the worlds first unfiltered nonpasteurized barleymalt beer primed with Santorini Assyrtiko 2011 must The wine kinship continues with help from another famous wine producing island New Zealand Not in the form of its signature grape but Sauvin one the worlds prized NewZealandgrown hops As the tasting note reveals though there is a similarity in the aromatic and tasting profile
The back label is no crashing bore of legal requirements It is informative entertaining too Not unlike the people involved in this venture The witty parting shot is HIP HOPPY KICKASS ALE Semantics apart crazy donkey is the first ale as wine that I know of SBCs other two brews are yellow donkey and red donkey More about those later
Cloudy orange in colour Longlasting frothy head Hoppy wine notes reminiscent of Sauvignon blanc The southernAegean volcanic juice seems to lurk somewhere in this briny yeasty rich cocktail As improbable as this sounds it works This is an unexpectedly fruity ale with an IPAish midpalate which goes on to a very fruity finish that seems to go on forever A rarity Who knows it may even convert a few of us wine lovers to what Egyptians called liquid bread
Wine: Santorini Brewing Company crazy donkey 5.5% ABV
Year: -
Link: http://www.santorinibrewingcompany.gr/
Score: 18
Type: Distillates
Variety: Assyrtiko
Area: Aegean Islands