Telegraph Brewing Co. Obscura Arborea.

Got this the other night at WF when I was having trouble deciding what was interesting. I saw the "lactobacillus" on the label and thought it might be a lacto-stout so I picked up one. Turns out it is actually an oud bruin, AKA Flanders brown ale. I've never actually bought a Flanders, never having seen it in a store but only trying it at bars. The name keeps reminding me of Camera Obscura, of which I was neither a lover nor hater, but that's really beside the point. Label has a sweet-looking tree on it, and the font is nice too. I don't normally care much for labels, but this one is actually quite nice. It indicated that Obscura Arborea is an "Ale aged with oak and lactobacillus/unfiltered, bottle-conditioned". I had read some reviews on it, and they warned that it was violently carbed. One guy said the cork started working its way out on its own after removing the cage. Danger from exploding bottles. Painful carbonation in the mouth. Wow, exciting.

I gave it as gentle of a pour as I could, down the side at a very shallow angle into a willi because I don't have any flutes. Here is the resulting head: wat. I could see many streams of continuous bubbles coming up, the head churning and growing. The color was pleasant, though, and reminded me of fall. At 9%ABV, the first taste seemed a bit hot. It wasn't as sour as I've known Flanders ales to be. Tart in an unripened fruit kind of way, but it wasn't too unripe. Cherries, apples, crabapples smashed on the sidewalk. Tart, not sour. As the beer warmed up, it because more and more enjoyable as the carbonation became more subdued. At the end of the day, I liked it. It's like a gentle beginning for sour/wild ales. I'll try to pick up a few extra bottles to bring home.

• Appearance: Murky dark brown, cider-y brown. Head is off the wall.
• Smell: Tartness, sour cherry, apple, apricot.
• Taste: Tart and bitter, but certainly palatable. It does taste a bit apple cider-y without much sweetness. For a wild ale-family brew, it is easy on the palate.
• Mouthfeel: Highly and finely carbed. It is like drinking a can of soda in a single sip. After some time to breathe and mellow out, it is less violent.
• Drinkability and Overall: I'm not familiar enough with the style to be a very good judge but I do find it enjoyable, especially after some time to vent. At 9%ABV, it is not sessionable, but a bottle or two shared with a friend would make a nice conversation piece as you note the development.