CBCo Barrel Projects: Aurum

After close to a year, CBCo have a new addition to their Barrel Projects series with the arrival of Aurum. OK, so “fresh” might not be strictly true: the third release under that banner has been barrel-aged for 24 months in a combination of chardonnay and pinot noir barrels. It was then blended then, proving that you can showcase a bit of agriculture and terroir wherever you are, bottle-conditioned with honey sourced from bees close to their Port Melbourne home.

The mixed culture golden ale features two strains of Brettanomyces, plus lactobacillus and pediococcus, with that trio coming together for a sharply sour start that’s followed by funk and a touch of ripe tropical fruit. The honey, meanwhile, doesn’t add sweetness but rather the kind of deeply rich floral flair I’ve always imagined inner city honey to bring before a dry finish kicks in.

Will Ziebell

Published December 21, 2022 2022-12-21 00:00:00