Sour Brainless On Pink Guava
Epic Brewing Company

 

this is just fantastic stuff, the whole series has been, i just appreciate it so much, especially in the context of so many fruited kettle sours and not enough of this sort of thing these days. its so mature, so funky, so uniquely tart, so tropical and bright, and its really neat to have guava by itself, its so often paired with pineapple and orange and mango and everything else and so its pure unmolested identity is cool here. i also feel like guava is such a kettle sour fruit, its trendy in those puree bombs, but this is different, more authentic, and with the sharp wood aged sour base it just pops, so juicy and tropical and amazing. its awesomely vibrant, fizzy and dry for being so fruity, mature as can be but not heavy from the wood, vinous and slightly vinegar forward, fruity in such a good way, authentic on the guava for sure too, lightly wheaty, even with some minerals. i adore it, ive pretty much loved them all in this series, but they have once again outdone themselves with this one. so cool to have it on tap too, i cant wait to drink this one again. id also love to do a side by side with all of them! epic has gotten bigger, gone in a lot of different directions, but they remain one of the best in the mountain states without question!

 

 

 

375 ml bottle into tulip glass; release #5, no bottle dating. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy pale golden yellow/light orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/sour/tart/tangy pink guava, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of pink guava, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big juicy/sour/tart/tangy pink guava, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tart/tangy pink guava, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light pepper/leathery/musty/lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of pink guava, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/sourness and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness, and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, and moderately creamy/grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6.4%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of pink guava, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; not overly lactic. Fantastic balance between juicy/jammy fruit and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great oak presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example. Best in the sour series so far.

This beer pours a gorgeous pale peach-pink with a minimal head. The aroma leads with a massive hit of pink guava, with a little barnyard and some lemon juice and floral background notes. The flavor starts with a big blast of citric and tartaric sourness, followed by lemon and some floral flavors, and then on the back end the massive amount of guava appears, coating your mouth as you swallow. The mouthfeel is light with moderate carbonation and a grain finish. Overall this is superb - plenty of balanced sourness, just enough funk and so much beautiful guava - I may be biased because I adore guava, but I cannot help but call this one of the best fruited spontaneous sours I have had.

 

 

 

 

Bottle pour at the brewery.

Peach hued golden color. Tastes a bit like pink lemonade. Sour and tart. The guava fruit is great. A bit juicy. Lighter bodied. Citrusy.