The bottle says: "Seriously sour, this Flanders-style reddish brown ale was fermented 1 to 3 years in french oak barrels for mouthpuckering perfection." It's 6% ABV. I often forget that outside of the beer geek world, the concept of sour beer is unfamiliar and even off-putting to most. In truth, even after I'd been exploring craft beer for a short while, I really didn't like sour beer at all. Now I've come around and find it to be consistently complex and refreshing. Unfortunately, sours are time- and space-consuming to brew and are therefore usually limited releases and/or expensive. New Belgium's La Folie, an annual spring release, is priced at around $15 here in Southern California, but at least they give you a 22oz big bottle.
Appearance: Mahogany (brown with a reddish tinge,) a modest head of 1-2 fingers that recedes fairly quickly and doesn't leave any lacing behind. There is a thin ring of foam still on top of the beer, but not much other evidence that the head was once there.
Smell: Tart dark cherry, tannin/leather, earthy wood and funk. Overall it's sharp but not abrasive.
Taste: Much like the smell, the taste is funky cherry and oak. It's crisp and tart, with some definite leathery/tannin presence in there as well, but it's not off-putting in any way. Behind the tartness, there is actually a bit of a sweet character, perhaps from the fruit, or a touch of vanilla?
Mouthfeel: Light and dry, and the sourness definitely does make me pucker a bit! My mouth is watering too. It seriously feels so, so light. So perfect for sitting in the backyard -- crisp and refreshing, as sours often are.
Overall: I haven't reviewed a lot of sours on here yet, but I can say that especially for the price point (again, $15 for this size bottle is actually pretty damn good) this is a top-level sour. It's full-tasting and complex, but it's not heavy on the palate or in the stomach. If you see this around, definitely pick it up! Its wide availability should make it easy for anyone to acquire, should they be interested in trying out sours, and it's a great example to start out with.
4.5/5
Appearance: Mahogany (brown with a reddish tinge,) a modest head of 1-2 fingers that recedes fairly quickly and doesn't leave any lacing behind. There is a thin ring of foam still on top of the beer, but not much other evidence that the head was once there.
Smell: Tart dark cherry, tannin/leather, earthy wood and funk. Overall it's sharp but not abrasive.
Taste: Much like the smell, the taste is funky cherry and oak. It's crisp and tart, with some definite leathery/tannin presence in there as well, but it's not off-putting in any way. Behind the tartness, there is actually a bit of a sweet character, perhaps from the fruit, or a touch of vanilla?
Mouthfeel: Light and dry, and the sourness definitely does make me pucker a bit! My mouth is watering too. It seriously feels so, so light. So perfect for sitting in the backyard -- crisp and refreshing, as sours often are.
Overall: I haven't reviewed a lot of sours on here yet, but I can say that especially for the price point (again, $15 for this size bottle is actually pretty damn good) this is a top-level sour. It's full-tasting and complex, but it's not heavy on the palate or in the stomach. If you see this around, definitely pick it up! Its wide availability should make it easy for anyone to acquire, should they be interested in trying out sours, and it's a great example to start out with.
4.5/5
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