Pulling Nails is labeled as "an ongoing experiment in the art of blending to create sour and wild ales of extraordinary depth, complexity and balance".
From the onset of the Pulling Nails "series", these have been some of my favorite beers to produce. As with any good sour, funky, wild barrel aged brewery, the only way to continue to move forward, to learn, to create complexities and to create a true identity for our beers is to become great at understanding our beers, how they work to gather and how to blend to a superior state where 1 + 1 = 3.
As with every Pulling Nails Blend, I started with a blank slate for Blend #7, no distinct direction in which I wanted it to go, just walking through our barrel room discovering barrels that were mature, complimentary and intriguing.
Blend #7 is a step back toward a traditional flavor profile that is deep, rich, and undeniable Side Project. Blend #7 is the union of a beer that was fermented in and aged in Chardonnay barrels for more than 2 years on Missouri Chardonel grapes and several MIssouri wild ales that were aged for 3 years before being blended and naturally conditioned in the bottle.
The Missouri Chardonel grape is one of my favorite white wine grapes grown locally and is one that I have used before (Blanc de Blancs). Its luscious, yet inviting, yet powerful enough to withstand our cultures and long term aging in oak. The base beer that was brewed to be aged with these grapes was a classic combination of Pilsner, Wheat and Oats. This thread makes up 42% of the blend.
The rest of the blend consists of several Missouri Wild Ales, all of which were aged in oak for 3 years, some of which were barrel fermented as well. They were all interpretations of a Pilsner and Wheat malt bill, all inoculated with our Missouri cultures, but in different ways, at different times and sometimes with other families of microflora, trying to coax new experiences and to actually serve as building blocks for what I knew would one day be a Pulling Nails Blend.
Blend #7 was bottled 2 months ago and naturally conditioned in the bottle until is was ready to share with you. It is reminiscent of PN2 and PN4 with a definitive vinous character from the Missouri Chardonel grapes. Plenty of Brettanomyces influence suggests that it should age as well as previous Pulling Nails Blends and it is tied together with the signature Side Project acidity on the palate at its current state.
Bottles will be available to-go and for on-site enjoyment at both The Side Project Brewery at 7458 Manchester Road in Maplewood and at The Side Project Cellar at 7373 Marietta Ave., also in Maplewood when they open on Saturday, September 2nd.
Bottles will be $35 to-go and allocations will be based on the number of people that show up.
Both locations will also have bottles of La Ruche, SpontanFermier and Bière du Pays available to-go and updated lists for on-site enjoyment bottles.
Thank you once again for your support of our niche beers and see you tomorrow at one of the locations for some Pulling Nails Blend #7!
Cheers,
Cory King
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