Cambridge Brewing Company - The Brett Conspiracy

This brilliantly executed mixed-fermentation beer from the good folks up at Cambridge uses two different strains of Brettanomyces as well as a rather Brett-like Saccharomyces strain, all of which come together in a perfectly tropical, mouthwatering package. This pours a vibrant golden-orange, capped by an off-white head that leaves a thin perimeter of bubbles after it’s departed. Both the yeast characteristics and the dry-hopping are hugely influential here, as is evidenced by a quick sniff: this is pungently tropical, that ideal degree of ripeness, showing a melange of tart grapefruit and lemon, passion fruit, hints of pine and fresh-cut grass. There’s just enough tartness present, accentuating the ripe fruit feel and making this even more juicy.

There’s a subtle zest of carbonation right from the start, landing on the tip of the tongue and building from there, giving a lively padding for all of the fruit that follows. And there’s a ton of delicious, diverse fruit character expressed in this beer courtesy of the hops and yeasts: an impact of pineapple, sweet lime, tart lemons, guava, grape—even some candied orange notes when budging up against this beer’s very subtle maltiness. A touch of peppery phenolics add to the impact of the bittering hops, and the complexity of the overall yeast character here has this being one of our standouts. Fruity, refreshing, amazingly complex for how fresh it feels.

This is bottle conditioned and should continue to develop nicely for quite some time, maybe a year or more, but keep an eye on it. The potency of the hops will fade quickly, and they’re a key aspect of this beer right now. For pairings: that fruit and firm core bitterness have us looking for cheese, ideally some creamier, hop-tempering options like Brie and Camembert.