Logsdon Farmhouse Ales - Oak Aged Bretta

Logsdon’s Oak Aged Bretta, in the overall spectrum of their Seizoen renditions, has both the bells and the whistles. That light tart touch of Brettanomyces ultimately conjures both lemon custard and passion fruit here, while a firmly introduced oak element adds a nice vanilla note and almond-like tannic qualities. The lattermost gives this a pleasant structural base alongside that lemony brightness. Don’t expect lambic-level tartness here. Instead, we’re getting varied, expressive Brett characteristics that are more characteristic of kaffir lime leaf or tropical fruit.

After our initial pour of this beer (and a brief distraction) we returned to a glass looking as if it were aflame: a resilient lacing climbing up the sides of the glass, left behind by a billowing head, and hazed, glowing golden-orange nectar underneath. In a nutshell: built like a house.

This is unfiltered and refermented in the bottle, a generous fine-bubbled carbonation lifting up the body, bringing forth a saison aspect like black-peppered crackers, fresh oakiness that feels both tannic and herbaceous, and Brettanomyces contributions that speak of a brewery that knows its way around a yeast bank. There’s so much in this one: oaky structure, citrusy spritz, a brilliant underlying Seizoen, and the pitch-perfect mouthfeel we’ve come to expect from Logsdon’s lineup. Pinpoint and expansive; refreshing and deep. Logsdon puts best-by dates like five years out on this one, so don’t be afraid to set aside a few bottles in the cellar.

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is headed up by Director and Brewmaster David Logsdon, and it’s on his bucolic 10 acre property that his farmhouse brewery resides (situated inside of an actual big red barn). David’s been a force in the brewing industry for quite some time, previously serving as a founding partner and brewer at fellow Hood-River-based brewery Full Sail. He’s also the founder of Wyeast Laboratories, Inc., one of the country’s main brewing yeast companies, where he worked for 25 years before setting out to start a brewery of his own.

To the idyllic setting and skilled brewing team, add a dedication to high-quality, thoughtfully sourced, organic ingredients. Hops are used in their whole-cone form (no pellets, no extract) and purchased either directly from the farmers themselves or grown on site. Fruit additions are locally sourced. Multiple yeast strains are typically used, allowing for greater complexity in the final product. Also: Every beer is certified organic.

We feel Logsdon’s offerings are some of the finest examples one can find of the power of superb yeast strains in the hands of brewers with a deft touch and great creativity. Logsdon’s beers are produced in small batches and distributed in similarly small quantities in just a handful of states and British Columbia. It’s our pleasure to have been able to work with Logsdon to secure limited quantites of six of these excellent beers for this month’s special offer. We know you’ll enjoy these world-class beers as much as we have. Cheers!