Cherry Almonds
Hermitage Brewing

L: reddish orange. cloudy. Not a "great" looking beer, but normal for these kinds of sours.

S: the smell really stands out. It's tart/sour. The cherries and spices really come through. It smells a bit of white wine. It's an awesome example of a sour.

T: Its very tart (like many of the hertiage sours I've had). The cherry comes first, with a hint of almond. Really nice, but definitely on the high end of sour. It's clean and maybe citrus, again a touch of white wine.

F: It feels a bit strange for beer but normal for these kinds of sours. It's lower on the carbonation. The high acid makes it burn/sting more than you'd expect from a beer. Overall I think it's fine, but sours aren't really there for the feel.

I love this style (and the whole range of the Hermitage similar entries)... but it's a bit more of an experience than every day drink. The awesome flavors mixed with the super-charged tartness makes it worth trying, for sure. I'd probably suggest not drinking 4-5 of them in an evening though!

Despite Cherry Almond's average Looks, Smells are this Wild's strength as the tart cherries dominate and promise a tart delivery. Unfortunately, that tartness is most of what the Taste delivers. I get minimal sensation that this is a malt beverage... even a specialized one. So tarted are my buds that I really don't want this sitting in my mouth for long. This Wild was better when I was eating a rich cheese and Cherry Almonds was cutting through the fat. But when the meal came, the rest of the bottle was retired. Too tart to enjoy real food. But, I'll admit that I could have saved some for dessert.

My first from Heritage, I went on their website and was impressed by what the principals did before Heritage and how it is "A Retreat From The Ordinary." But Cherry Almonds pushes the envelope a bit far in a style that is hard to control by brewers who make wilds their main business. And since Hermitage made its money on hoppy beers, sours like this will come slowly. Nonetheless, I give Hermitage Big OA hugs for trying to be extraordinary.

 

i like the idea of making beer with these two elements, i can think of only mikkeller who has done it before, at least just those two in isolation, and only in my experience, but suffice it to say that cherry almond ales are uncommon! this one doesnt look amazing, murky and relatively flat, pinkish orangey colored, the least impressive aspect of this one. the nose is awesome, tangy pie type cherries, with some sweetness to them too, a kool aid note, and some simple cereal malt thats exposed a little bit or even turned a little by the gripping sourness that is evident. dusty grains, sour cherry candy, and red wine in the flavor. almond is well behind the fruit, but i do still appreciate it, sort of toasted or even creamy in a way, buttery rather, and with the faintest sort of amaretto finish here. the acidity i think is a little too high to appreciate the fullest nuances of this brew, but is not dirty and its not too much, clean as they go, with a citrusy thing that accentuates the sour side of the cherries, and it dries the beer out well in the finish. like several of the beers we had here, this one really needs more carbonation, but the flavors are unique and interesting. these guys impressed me with this, and with one of the more ambitious beer lists i have seen at a brewery ever in my life...