Odell Brewing Sabateur

I know I've said it before, but I am a huge fan of Odell Brewing out of Fort Collins, CO, and nothing makes me happier than a rumor going around that they may be coming to TX in 2013. One can hope. Not only does Odell have an outstanding regular line up of beers, but their line of barrel aged beers is some of the best in the country in my opinion. One brew in particular that I have been looking forward to trying is the Sabateur. Odell brewed an outstanding higher than normal ABV Brown Ale, then added Brett yeast and aged it in American Oak barrels. Got your attention yet?
The Beer: This souped up brown ale weighs in at a very unsession like 10.0% and pours a very carbonated dark rich nut brown color. In fact this beer poured so overly carbonated that I was very concerned that the beer was infected. The first whiff gave no indication though that anything was wrong. There were sour notes on the nose to be sure, but I chalked it up to the brett and oak aging. Some mild barnyard notes as well. Then the first sip confirmed that nope, this beer was not infected. The beer was surprisingly smooth, very much the character of a brown ale. Slightly sweet malts, but then undertones of vanilla, pineapple, before finishing extremely dry. There are some wine like qualities to this brew that add a level of complexity. There is a hint of barnyardiness that helps add to the complexity. Many different layers to Sabateur, that gives it a quite amazing character. Rich sweet brown ale up front, before finishing dry and almost wine like. Another top notch offering from this small Fort Collins Brewery.