Sucker Punch Sour
Swans Brewpub / Buckerfield Brewery

 

Poured from fridge temp. Opaque orange - creamy looking. Smell is crazy citrus, apricot, melon, sour, orange creamscicle. pineapple, earthy, and piney. Really smooth notes. Taste follows the nose. Not overly sour, but definitely present. Not a ton of hops. Really fruity and delicious - a beautiful marriage of flavors that result in a super smooth beer. Mouthfeel is perfect. Overall, this is a great beer that I will seek out again.

 

Appearance: This beer pours a bubbly darkish amber mostly clear and reminds me of a slightly dark ginger ale. There is a chunky white foam top that disappears as quickly as it forms - no retention and leaves almost no surface indication it was ever there.

Aromatics: I smelled the citrus waft from the tulip glass, there is a very tropical heavy citrus - the suggested pineapple an mandarin are almost bang on. I also get subtle hints of melon and pear. The usual sour tang I get with most sours is actually hidden here.

Taste: More tang than sour, unless you take a big swig - then I get a taste that is more sour and full of green pineapple governed by some mandarin orange syrup that eases the pucker. Super refreshing especially when chilled.

Feel: A super crispy, snappy, and poppy carbonation, thats what kept me coming back for another sip. Decent light-middleweight or heavy-lightweight, finishes very dry - and has the mouthfeel of a sparkling wine with tangy pangs to the palate from the sour, very dry finish and no real lingering sensations.

Overall: Taking the hint from the label design (gnome with two sets of brass knuckles) I get the impression that the sour is perfectly matched - its got the sour sucker punch but it comes in a small package and won’t really do any damage - it is entertaining, jovial, with an attempt at attitude that you are more than willing to accommodate sip after sip.

Pairing: Hhhmmmm, I was thinking something more on the sweet side but the more I taste it, I’m thinking more spicy and umami. BBQ’d jalapeño cheese smokie on a brioche bun - topped how you like, but onion, sweet relish, and little hot mustard are my usual choices. And just some plain potato chips on the side - support that crispy snap and the salt will enhance the sour. You could even do a take on an tequila ol favourite - lick the chip; take a swig; and then eat the chip… lol!

Swans Brewpub 'Sucker Punch' Citra Sour @ 5.5% , originally brewed for VBW'16 Lift Off! & after party plus a recent 650 ml bottle purchased for $7
A-pour is a light gold from the cask/bottle to a slight hazey gold in the glass with a small white head , last couple of pours from the bottle have floaters
S-dry-hopped Citra , hints of tropical fruit
T-tart & refreshing not so sour
MF-ok carbonation , medium body
Ov-I like this local beer , even with the floaters
prost LampertLand

 

650 mL bottle acquired in a CANBIF trade, so big thanks to Farees for sending this one my way. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a lightly hazy golden-yellow colour, generating one inch of puffy, soapy white head that slowly dissipates over the next 3-4 minutes. An unassuming collar remains, as well as a thin, foamy film floating on the surface; a few splashes of seafoam lace are scantily scattered. Mostly fruit on the nose - particularly pineapple, but with additional hints of peach, white grape, lychee, lemon zest and flowery perfume. Slightly acidic. Smells like a humdinger of a beer.

Approachable as sours go; the lactic acidity borders on subtle, but beautifully complements the Citra dry-hopping. Notes of grainy pale malt underlie restrained flavours of lemon sourness and juicy apricot. Pineapple and peach also come to mind, with mild lacto acidity on the back end. Finishes with a weak tartness, but without any lingering flavours in the aftertaste. Light in body, with crisp, lively carbonation that supplies a firm bite. Extremely refreshing and ridiculously easy to drink.

Final Grade: 4.06, an A-. While there are certainly more complex sours out there, I'd be hard-pressed to find one that is more thirst quenching and drinkable than Swans' Sucker Punch. I must confess that Citra is one of my favourite hop strains, so this review may be a tad biased - but regardless, I find this to be a highly enjoyable beer that I would eagerly recommend to anyone who has enjoyed a kettle sour in the past. Give it a try if you have the opportunity.

 

Kettle sours seem to be hip this year.

Bronze with a slight haze, pours a nice head that shows some lace before it dissipates.

Not much aroma, bit of citrus and biscuit.

The acidity plays nicely with the lemon flavour from the citra. It's not at all dank, but then it's not really that hoppy. Bitterness is subdued. Not much depth to the sourness, I'd suggest fermenting with sac trois if they don't want to finish with Brett, but I guess this is the new standard for a quick sour.

Moderate body is a bit heavier than expected, with a light acidity (pH is probably over 4).

Gateway sour?