Pomegranate Lambic
Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House

 

Tried some from a keg a few months ago and never got around to reviewing it, but I just have to. This beer was such an undrinkable mess of acetone and vinegar that I can't not warn everyone. Rivertown needs to get their wild fermentations under control because the amount of ethyl acetate and acetic acid in here is unforgivable.

Having had MANY world class lambics, this one comes nowhere close. it has such an odd mouthfeel that, combined with the odd strains of wild yeast, produce a beer that, even by normal lambic standards, tastes funky in a BAD way, primarily consisting of vinegar. i will update my review if i ever get a chance to try it again.....

 

 

 

 

 

Light, fruity, smooth. Nearly everything you could ask for from a lambic. Colour is a rosy amber, scent is sour but not so much that it overpowers the fruity hints. Taste is near perfect, almost too sweet in my opinion. Highly recommend to any sour lover.

 

Where the flagship ales of Rivertown provide a steady and common character, those do little to suggest that their sour program could spin off such distinctive and high quality taste. The epitome of which may be reached with this Pomegranate Lambic- borrowing the natural tanginess of fruit to accessorize the earthy sourness of that's classic of Brussels.

As soon as the nose reaches the glass, utter mouth-watering sensations ensue. High acidity spins off sour grapes, dry cider and white wine vinegar to lock the jaws and buckle the knees with even the most tentative of sips. Its earthen perfume of saddle leather, cork-like must, driftwood, attic and a tinge of yogurt waft about as its fruity tendencies take hold.

As the sourness strips the thirst from the middle palate with ease, those fruit flavors bounce off the tonuge with the aid of strong effervescence. Champagne-like in feel those white grape, crab apple, cranberry, raspberry, cherry and slightly more obvious pomegranate flavors are given their proper life. Its medium salty taste offers up the brine of the sea while white wine vinegar, dry oak and lime polish off the bulk of taste.

Its bracing acidity provides a piquant flavor and feel while sharp astringency pierces the jaws with pin-point precision. Just shy of heartburn inducing, the sourness backs off before crossing the threshold of overwhelming vinegar or acetone. Bone-dry in finish, the ale leaves the palate crisp and refreshed with only a faint echo of wheat long after the flavor has closed.

With its racy carbonation, its light amber hue shows that there's something nearly sinister about the beer, beyond its mistakenly calm color. Its carries a whole-hearted lambic flavor and feel that's rarely seen outside of Belgium. Well done Rivertown!

Another thanks to rudzud for sharing a never again no idea how this happened in the first place kinda beer.

Light fizzy head fades almost instantly, dark murky cranberry red color.

Nose some sour lambic, sour fruit and lambic notes, cherry like sour fruit, little sweet candy note but not syrupy or too sweet, little Pomegranate like fruit juice with touch of tartness.

Taste sour funk, nice fruit, sour fruit and pomegranate, big acidic maybe a bit high but not sure if too high, nice genetic fruit, light tart and sour like funk, little grainy malt base. Finish is sticky little flemmy, sour acidic funk, more pomegranate, sour fruit and flemmy funk, etc.

Mouth is med bod, flemmy and big acidic bite, nice carb.

Overall pretty nice, not the best base lambic but a nice pomegranate character to it.

Received this in a trade. Really fun story behind how this gentleman got this growler fill but here is not the place to post it. Just great story, anyways, shared with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a cranberry red hue with a thin head that fades leave a light halo.

S - Aromas of light musty basement, not nearly as pronounced as the peach lambic, sweet pomegranate juice albeit rather subtle.

T - Taste is nice and sour, good lambic notes of musty basement, nice pomegranate juice, lightly sweet, nice juicy fruit especially on the finish. Very bright fruit notes, good pomegranate along with nice sour acidity.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely acidic, good tartness. Nice carbonation.

O - Overall this was a tasty beer, great fruit beer with nice fruit profile.

 

 

 

 

 

This pours with a nice bright pinkish hue, a rosy glow. (I love Sienfeld) the head was bright white, relatively thin and bubbly but had incredible retention.

The nose is sour and tangy with what I assume is fresh pomegranate. (Can't say I've ever smelled a pomegranate.)

The flavor and feel are one unit here and in the world of Sours that is typical. There is the obvious sour and tangy flavor/feel but it's never overpowering and never overwhelming. Rivertown has hit that perfect balance between the sour and fruity elements. Again, I'm not an expert on pomegranate but the fruity sweet flavor is phenomenal.

I would put this on par with some of Cantillion and New Glarus offerings. This is a home run!