Brewer Q & A (Issue 22)

91 Rating – Green Flash Brewing Co. – Oculus Sauvage

Responses from Green Flash barrelmaster Pat Korn.

Who came up with this beer's recipe?
The recipe for Le Freak, which is the base for Oculus Sauvage, was developed by our previous Brewmaster Chuck Silva many years ago. Local publican Louis Mello – owner of Liars Club – and Chuck were having beers at Liars Club when Louis challenged Chuck to make a Belgian beer that had California IPA components. There weren’t any other breweries in U.S. at that time who’d attempted a beer like this. After some trial and error, Le Freak became a Green Flash staple. From there, we experimented with barrel aging it in red wine barrels from a local winery. We’ve been making it ever since.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
This is the first real barrel-aged beer where we’ve had multiple vintages to blend to a taste we like. Oculus Sauvage is a mixture of three different vintages. At the time of blending they were 9, 12, and 19-month old beers. The base beer, Le Freak, is a very hoppy beer with crazy Belgian undertones. After inoculating it with our house Brett, more flavors are imparted into the beer. Once it goes into the red wine barrel, the funky Brett character and tannins from the wood add to the complexity of the beer. You’ll notice these distinct flavors when you taste it. Oculus Sauvage has a pronounced hop bitterness that pairs great with the vinous qualities from the barrel, and the esters of the Belgian yeast pair great with the barnyard funk, lemon and verbena elements from our house Brett. The nose is predominately tannins and hops – which is an amazing combination.

Where does this beer’s name come from? 
The Cellar 3 tagline, “Where Craft Evolves into Artistry,” pays homage to the art of craft beer creation and our desire to elevate our beers to the next level – in this case through barrel aging. The beer names at Cellar 3 are inspired by art history, the Renaissance, and blending the meanings of palate and palette. Beers with the name Sauvage in their title elude to the wild nature of the house Brett yeast used to produce our Belgian-inspired, funky beers.

Is this your "desert island beer?"
At 10.1 percent ABV, I wouldn’t want to drink this one on a hot desert island. My desert island beer is Anchor Liberty Ale.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Belgian-style Imperial India Pale Ale Aged in Red Wine Barrels.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
I didn’t like this beer at all when I first took over the barrel program. It felt unbalanced and overly woody; there was no finesse. Through the years, we’ve been able to mold the beer into what you taste today – through blending, experimenting with different barrels, and better sanitation techniques. Now I love this beer. I love it so much, in fact, that in 2016 we’ll be releasing a version with Blackcurrant. I just tasted some out of a 5-month old barrel and it’s really coming around nicely. We’re very excited for the end product!