An homage to the traditional blending practices of Belgian and French farmhouse brewers, Bière de Coupage is a harmonious marriage of aged sour wheat ale, with a young hoppy saison. Santé!
Citrus, earthy, dry
Limited
Pilsner malt, red wheat malt, unmalted white wheat
Tettnang, Saphir
Belgian Ale, Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, lactobacillus
Bière de Coupage is more of a technique than it is a style or recipe. To draw down the previous winter’s stores of beer, farmhouse breweries would blend the mature and acidic barrel-aged beer with young fresh saison.
The word "coupage" comes from the French word "couper," which means "to cut." The different types of beer that are used in a Bière de Coupage can vary widely, but they often include sour beers, wild beers, and saison beers.
pFriem’s Bière de Coupage is a blended beer comprised of 80% young wheat saison with brettanomyces and 20% 18 month aged lambic-inspired ale. Both components were aged in neutral French oak barrels. After blending, the beer received a light dry hop of with saaz before bottle conditioning. Meant to be enjoyed young, while the blend is fresh and balanced.
Pours a light golden with subtle haziness and a rocky white head from lively carbonation. The aroma leads with bright citrus, soft bread, and classic barnyard funk. Peachy esters, white pepper and earthy funk are the leading flavors, lightly acidic with a dry and refreshing finish.
The classic saison food parings apply here, but with an extra emphasis on the added acidity. Charcuterie is a great choice as the acidity and funkiness of bière de coupage can cut through the richness of cured meats, such as salami, prosciutto, and chorizo. Cheese is a natural pairing with Brett forward beers- light to funky, creamy to hard, and fresh to aged can meld well with the wild flavors of Brett. Earthy foods such as mushrooms can play well the dynamic and earthy flavors of the beer. Spice driven cuisine such as Indian, Thai and Cambodian will meld well the spice of the beer and the acidity helps cut through the heat.
