Mmm, accidental lambic

I love pleasant mistakes. For example, I made a Scottish 80/- (eighty shilling) about this time last year to enter in the "Eis-anything" category at the Upper Mississippi Mashout Homebrewing Competition. Unfortunately I didn't make the deadline so the bottles sat in my beer closets for the past year. Also unfortunately the beer was infected Brettanomyces when it was outside freezing (that's why it Eis-Scottish).

So the bottles sat. And sat. And Sat. AND SAT.

Until today.

Tomorrow I meet with some of my fellow Rochester Area Zymurgy Enthusiasts (R.A.Z.E) to discuss brewing. Naturally there's beer involved and I need something to bring. Of course I'll bring some kickass oatmeal stout. I'll also bring some 1+ year old Bourbon Vanilla Porter. But I needed something more. Did I mention I forgot to label all the beer I made over the past year? Oops.

So I had to figure out which bottles were which beer: Bourbon Vanilla or Eis-Scottish. I was apprehensive when I opened what I thought was the Eis-Scottish. It was a gusher. I knew it was Eis-Scottish. But instead of throwing it out I decided to give it a try.

Man, it's gooood. Really good. I love me some sour beer and this hits the spot. It's tart, fruity, clovey, acidic, and complex. I may let it age some more and see where it is in another year.

What about the Bourbon Vanilla? Some are flat and lifeless. Others taste like medicine. Not a winner.