Duality 06

Beer or wine? We ask ourselves the same thing.

This edition of Duality might go the furthest yet in exploring the boundaries between beer and wine. At first glance, you might think it is another version of our original Duality, but here the ratio of must to beer is one to one, making it half wine, half beer in character.

We added a generous amount of Cabernet Sauvignon must to the fermentation — enough that even seasoned winemakers might be caught off guard. Right from the first aroma, you are met with wine-like notes, a touch of lactic acidity, and a funky wild character that reveals its spontaneous nature.

The flavour follows the nose. The initial acidity gently fades, giving way to Brett character, peppery spice, and classic barnyard and horse blanket notes familiar to lovers of wild wines and beers.

Fermentation was spontaneous, with no commercial yeast added. The beer aged for twelve months in Slavonian oak, followed by bottle refermentation on its own native yeast for another year, with no disgorgement, using the principles of the champagne method.

It is not quite wine, and not quite beer. Or maybe it is both. Either way, this is Duality.