Saint Archer Tusk & Grain Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Gose
Saint Archer Tusk & Grain Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Gose is a 500mL barrel-aged gose bottled at 4.6% ABV, brewed in San Diego by the former Saint Archer Brewing Co. as part of its Tusk & Grain barrel programme. The gose — malted wheat and barley brewed with slightly salty water, coriander and hops — is intentionally soured with lactobacillus before the boil, then given brettanomyces and nurtured in well-worn Pinot Noir barrels. It was released in 2016 in a very limited tasting-room run of fewer than 150 cases. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 4.6%
- Size: 500mL
- Style: Gose, barrel-aged
- Grain: Malted wheat and barley
- Process: Lactobacillus-soured before the boil; brettanomyces added; aged in well-worn Pinot Noir barrels
- Seasoning: Slightly salty water, coriander and hops
- Origin: San Diego, California
- Release: 2016, tasting-room only, fewer than 150 cases
Tusk & Grain: Saint Archer's Barrel Room Experiments
Tusk & Grain was Saint Archer's cellar series, run by Barrel Master Greg Peters, and this gose was its most delicate experiment: a tart, thirst-quenching German-style base sent into used Pinot Noir barrels with brettanomyces, where it picked up oak, funk and a pronounced vinous quality. Peters recommended it with game bird or rich, fatty cheeses — or on its own — and the brewery expected the bottled beer to keep maturing with age. Explore the brewery on the Saint Archer vendor page, or see its sibling, the Tusk & Grain Brandy Barrel Aged Coffee Porter.
Tasting Notes
Per the brewery's release: oak, funk and tartness alongside a pronounced vinous quality from the Pinot Noir barrels, over the tart, thirst-quenching character of the soured gose base. No formal tasting table was published for this release.
How to Enjoy
Chilled, poured gently into a stemmed glass; pair it with game bird or rich, fatty cheeses, per the barrel master's own recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a gose?
A tart German wheat style brewed with salt and coriander. This one is soured with lactobacillus, given brettanomyces, and aged in Pinot Noir barrels — a barrel-aged San Diego take on the style.
What is the ABV of the Tusk & Grain Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Gose?
4.6% ABV in the 500mL bottling, per the brewery's 2016 release.
How limited was this beer?
Very: Saint Archer released it tasting-room only in 2016, in a run of fewer than 150 cases, under its Tusk & Grain barrel programme.
A 2016 San Diego barrel-room rarity — order the Tusk & Grain Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Gose online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.