SOB OMG
Dave's BrewFarm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fellow BA's, you aren't drinking enough of Dave's beer. It's not that Dave is hurting for business. On my last trip, the Labrewatory was crowded with customers, almost uncomfortably so. The issue is that nearly all of his beers have one review, and that reviewer is generally the same guy. That means that BA's like you may well be missing out on Dave's beer. When that applies to gems like this, that's a mistake. Big mistake.

So we're clear, SOB OMG stands for Sour Orange Basil, Oh My Goodness! I only was able to enjoy 2 oz of this beer (more on that later), but those 2 oz were enough to tell me what I needed to know.

The pour is lovely. Orange, vivid, nearly flourescent. Nice frothy, persistent head on top.

I gave the smell a 5.0, but if there were higher scores, it would have gotten it. The first hit to the olfactory system is tart orange, the second, more lingering shot, is fresh basil. Smells like my backyard garden. Hot damn. The flavors come together to create a peculiarly oriental brilliance.

In terms of taste, I would say that this less a sour, and more of a whacked out, awesome, fruit beer. The basil lingers in the throat and mixes with the orange. Ahhh, this stuff is really something else. Hops sit in the background.

Mouthfeel is somewhat reminiscent of a saison, medium to high carbonation, low to medium body. Drinks easy, tartness grows.

This was the clear standout of Dave's flight, but that comes with a cost. When I went to buy a growler, there had evidently been a run on them, and I was left shorthanded. A BA colleague grabbed one to curry favor with his sour-loving Cigar City pipeline in Florida. To Maximum12, I say, screw you. To his trading partner, I say, OMG are you a lucky SOB. Enjoy this one in health.

 

 

 

 

"SOB OMG!" Sticking to our roots of using farm-fresh and unique ingredients in the LaBrewatory, this is an homage to the end of summer. You'll delight in our "Sour orange basil-oh my goodness!!" Pils and Ashburne Mild malts, Glacier and Ahtanum hops. Brown sugar, sour orange puree, and a late addition of fresh basil." 6.7% ABV.

Pale, cloudy, peachy appearance, beautiful snowy white head, long lasting. Looks lovely.

Aroma: Ah! Spice aplenty, Is it just fresh basil? I would have guessed some other spices or herbs, but there we are. Orange is predominant, of course. Zesty and sweet, lovely and lively. Sour? I'm not getting that, yet. Let's keep on sniffing…
Okay, it's there, but not in a major way, just a bit more sour than sweet.

Taste: Bitter, sour, and sweet all at once. Orange and basil continues in the flavor, and the brown sugar comes out and mixes with the malt. Damn, this is delicious. More I drink, more I like. Sharp, citric, zesty, full-flavored. Warm, wheat-y feeling (although not a word was said about the malts, and I'm sure Farmer D would mention wheat if it were in there---wait, does he even do wheat?), soft, fresh, refreshing.

Orange flavor becomes more sharp, brisk, and likable further in, with basil on the side for extra delights.