Wildflower St Thomas 2024: Cherry
REGION: Marrickville, NSW
SIZE: 750ml / ABV: 5.6%
St Thomas was made by blending barrel aged golden mixed culture fermentation ale with 500kg of fresh, whole, handpicked, stemmed and destemmed, tree ripened Morello sour cherries from Thornbrook Orchard in Nashdale, NSW. After a seven month maceration and refermentation of fruit and beer, it was bottled and allowed to naturally carbonate and mature for four months before release.
Tasting notes by Meesh: I actually said 'wow' out loud the first time I lifted the glass of this beer to my nose. It bursts out the glass with marzipan, stemmy cherry and a richer vinous character. The palate is brimming with tart cherry, vanilla, almond, some spice - just layer after layer. There is fruit sweetness, but balanced with a cleansing acid, and a savoury element on the finish making it an incredibly moreish drink.
It's difficult to overstate the impact of Wildflower since its inception only a few years ago in 2017. Hailing from Texas, Topher Boehm has an impressive resume - from Brasserie Thiriez to Jester King to his background in astrophysics - not to mention his unique house yeast. Cultivated from foraged wildflowers native to NSW, think wattle blossoms and banksia, blended with a Belgian saison strain, creating something truly individual which speaks of place. Topher even sprayed the entire brewery with inoculated wort when he moved in, just to make sure everything was literally covered in the house culture.