Jester King "Three Year Blend" SPON Wild Ale 2024

This beer couldn't be a better fit for a natural wine shop, as it's made using largely similar naturally-occurring processes with minimal intervention.

SPON (short for "spontaneous fermentation) Three Year Blend is a blend of 100% spontaneously fermented beer from Jester King's previous three coolship seasons. Taking inspiration from authentic Belgian Gueuze, their aim is to follow a time-honored, classical method developed overseas, but with their own well water, Texas grain, aged hops, and native yeast to make a beer inextricably linked to a time, place, and people (known in the wine world as "terrior").

Jean Van Roy of Cantillon says it best: “Gueuze is not a style, it’s an experience. A good Gueuze embodies time, place, and history in every sip.” This sentiment perfectly reflects Jester King's intention with SPON Three-Year Blend, a Texas take on the traditional Belgian practice of blending young and old lambic. They call it "SPON" out of respect for those who use the title "Gueuze" in Belgium, but their methodology remains largely similar. They use "spontaneous fermentation" to capture wild yeast from the air in the brewery with a coolship, followed by barrel aging the beer for 1, 2, and 3 years.

They then blend those to create a beer that tells the story of each vintage in every sip. With simple additions like unadulterated well water, barn-aged hops and the wild character of the land, SPON captures a dramatic expression of terroir unique to this style.

After bottle conditioning, it’s ready to release—and will only deepen in character as it ages. 2024 SPON Three Year Blend offers a complex profile with an inviting tartness, fruity notes of stone fruit and lemon, earthy funk, lingering oak and a dry, crisp finish.