Pompano Beach’s Odd Breed Wild Ales announces Escalation of Commitment – a beer five years in the making.

From Odd Breed Wild Ales:

This Friday May 17 at Noon, bottles of Escalation of Commitment will go on sale on the Oznr app, and will be available for pick up when we open our taproom at 4pm.

Creating a beer that takes 5 years of development before offering it for sale is generally not a good idea. When I brew beers that I plan to age for three or more years in barrels, I brew them differently. I utilize a modified turbid mash to create a wort that for most conventional yeast strains, would be barely fermentable. My thought process is that by creating a wort nearly devoid of simple sugars and with limited maltose, I will have an especially long, slow fermentation (and extended CO2 production) in barrels that will offer a layer of protection against oxidation, while limiting acetic acid and ethyl acetate. While these notes are characteristic of any beer aged for extended time in barrels with Brettanomyces, getting them at the right levels without going too far is a balancing act. Over-aging will result in a harsh and undrinkable product, but not aging long enough will result in an immature beer that has more miles left on the tires.

This beer was packaged unblended from a single 500L French oak puncheon that held our Lambic-inspired beer for four years. Brewed with a simple grist of imported floor malted Pilsner, domestic raw wheat, and whole cone noble hops. Notes of apricot, melon, cedar, and sandalwood converge with deep Brett funk and refreshing acidity. This beer is packaged still and without refermentation in the bottle. I recommend pouring into a large wine glass and serving at 55-65 F. This beer is not intended to be served cold! Age this bottle horizontally. Packaged 7/5/2023 at 6.5% ABV.

Bottles of Escalation of Commitment go on sale on the Oznr app at Noon on Friday. This limited beer is priced at $45. We will also have some bottles available for pours in the taproom, but there is no draft. While this beer is ready to drink now, I expect it be drinking at its best when there is some additional subtle oxidation from aging in the bottle, in 3-5 years’ time.

 

About Odd Breed Wild Ales
Based in Pompano Beach, FL, Odd Breed Wild Ales is one of just a handful of breweries in the country focusing on producing wild ales that are fermented and aged in oak. OB’s management views oak-aged wild ales as the ultimate, most complex type of beer—and customers and beer lovers agree wholeheartedly. For additional information, visit: OddBreed.com.