This beer might be completely off the radar for some. It’s new the the United States, and hasn’t burst on the scene with a lot of fanfare. If I had to describe this beer – it’s less for casual drinker, and one more for the individual on a flavor journey. Cuvee Freddy is brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne in Heule, Belgium. The name of the brewery comes from a female spirit that is the subject of local folktales, and appears on the labels of the bottles. Don’t be put off by the name “Picobrouwerij.” The name is a bit of a play on words. Basically “Pico” is a scientific prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 10−12 or 0.000000000001. In other words VERY SMALL or… Micro brewery. Everything has a backstory!
Alvinne began brewing in 2002 as a contract brewer through De Graal Brewery in the East Flanders area of Belgium. They have since moved to their own digs. Alvinne produces a fairly wide range of styles from Abbey ales, Strong ales, and oak aged sour ales. Something to note as you read this. Belgium is a brewery intensive country. Other than the U.S. estimates I’ve read indicate that Belgium has just as many breweries, if not more. For a small craft brewer to gain as much attention as it has, and to have its brews come as far as Atlanta, it’s an impossibly big feat.
So – Cuvee Freddy. This is sour ale aged in oak barrels. Sour ales are brewed with wild yeasts like saccharomyces or brettanomyces, and lactic acid. Sour ales have a really unique flavor and the style is really catching on in the states.
Taste Expectations: Tart for starters. Not very sour. Vine fruits, grapes cherries. Dark dry fruits. Oak. Chocolate. Very complex beer that leads you in a lot of directions.
Availability: 750 ML capped bottles. Retail around $18.00
9% ABV
40 IBU’s
Cuvee Freddy is imported by B. United International – Redding, CT
