Rating: 6/5

Cuivre (7th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery is a 16.2% ABV Old Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
This sturdy beer marks our seventhth year, and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years.

Cuivre (Copper) will age gracefully for decades when cellared properly.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (ratebeer.com)
Cuivre is our seventh anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method.

A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year’s production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit,vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Cuivre is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.”

==Introduction==

Cuivre or “Copper” in French, in the traditional sense of the wedding anniversary gifts, refers to the 7th year in which Wool or Copper are given. The beer will be released in May and will be available to the public and many places where the Bruery beers are sold. Every year’s addition of the first ale to the new batch gives it another great layer of complexity as the original ale that is now 7 years old and the new young batch all together using the Solera method, as explained in the description, is that much more extraordinary. Every year since Fruet, their 4rd Anniversary when I first tried their beers, I have anticipated each release anxiously. It is with great pleasure that I show you, the newest batch and the newest review of the Bruery’s Anniversary beer. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Rich caramel dulce de leche, vanilla, oak, bourbon, burnt sugar, Dark Belgian candi sugars, burnt cane sugar, butterscotch, waffle cone, raspberry chambord, toffee, maple syrup, graham crackers and rum notes, Cadbury Cream Eggs, Creme brulee, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, plum notes, marshmallows, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, oak, anise, bananas and chocolate truffles.

Flavors:
Cadbury Cream Eggs, Creme brulee, Dulce de leche caramel richness, flan, burnt cane sugar, toasted bananas, plantains, brown sugars, pilloncillo sugar cone, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, plum notes, marshmallows, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, oak, bourbon, vanilla, apples, peaches, chocolate truffle ice cream, scotch whiskey, molasses, chocolate mousee, raisin bread pudding, rye bread. Belgian candi sugars, burnt sugar, rich butterscotch, waffle cone, raspberry chambord, toffee, maple syrup, graham crackers and rum notes.

Aftertaste:
Super rich dulce de leche caramel, raspberries, dark cherries, lingering scotch bourbon, vanilla, marshmallow, milk chocolate and raisin bread pudding. Some alcohol in the aftertaste but not detracting from the rich flavors, silky and creamy mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and dark brown body.

Overall:
Complexity runs super deep…and as with each and every new release, just as exceptional! This year’s version has more caramel and Cadbury chocolate flavors. Some of the dark fruits are pronounced in the flavors like the dark cherry but definitely more caramel this year. For being an ‘Old Ale’ on solera, this beer is surprising every year and with each yearly release, I would definitely say to go out there and get this one. It is one of the best Old Ales ever!

Anime Corner:
Yui Takamura from Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse was used in this pairing since I wanted to go with the theme I had been going with for each of these Bruery anniversary beers. Essentially, the plug suits. Since I already did some with the girls with Evangelion, Muv-Luv was the next bet and who better for a “copper” based beer than Yui and her copper and gold colored suit. Her purple aspects represent the dark fruit complexity that gets better and better every year for the Bruery.

Sources:
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/26d5b-muvluvalternative32.jpg
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