Fruit/Wood/Time: Montmorency & Balaton Cherry
Westbrook Brewing Co.

 

 

Look: Radioactive faded rust. Slightest head recedes to the thin looking, pale rust, sweet-tea like body.

Smell: Strawberries, balsamic vinegar, vanilla, slight baking spice. Some citrusy lemon peel notes.

Taste: Cherry cough syrup, tart strawberries, syrupy balsamic vinegar, slight spicy vanilla finish.

Feel: Pretty thin looking. Goes down pretty easy in terms of body, but the intense tartness makes this a sipper.

Overall: Reminiscent of a less complex Duchess De Bourgogne. Not as creamy on the mouthfeel and a lot more tannic. Interesting offering nonetheless, and pretty reasonably priced. Wow, looking at the label, I notice this beer is over 4 years old--I would think some tannin and tartness would mellow, but it's still an extremely sour beer.

Pretty beer and wonderfully aromatic, with funk, tart cherries, pie spices, oak, and lots of floral notes. Unfortunately the tasting notes were far too acidic and vinegar-like for my palate. Nice cherry and vanilla elements, plus oak and wet hay. But hard to get past the abrasive balsamic characteristics.

 

 

 

Thank you JBowenGeorgia for this
500 ml bottle, dated 9/19/17, poured into a teku

A- A clear ruby red with a small pink head.

S- Sour, cherry pie, some funk and oak.

T- Sour, cherries, mild funk, touch of oak.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A very nice cherry sour, worth seeking out.

 

 

16.9 oz bottle dated 9/20/17 from DragginBalls. Poured into smokestack snifter.

Bright strawberry color with a pinkish head of 1/2 finger that recedes to a fingernail.

Fruity aromas of cherry and strawberry with lactobacillus and slight oak.

POW! this is sour. I'm still getting more strawberry than cherry. It's very vinegar-y, with some lacto action and slight salt. The oak takes a back seat but it's there. I know Westbrook is really heavy handed with their sour/gose beers, but this one is a bit too much.

Feel is smooth and full of tannins, with a prickly carbonation towards the end. Drying tannins on the finish.

Overall, a fair sour beer that I think lacto fans would like. This one is a bit too much like a warhead to me.

Bottle from Tavour
Pours a hazy murky dark pink color with a smattering of white bubbles that dissipate instantly. Sour and funky on the nose with a big cherry presence. Flavor is more funk than tart again with a tart cherry flavor. Moderate oak tannin and a hint of acetic acid. Almost still in my glass, some carbonation would have done wonders for this beer. Very tasty from the cherries but kind of mild for a sour/wlid ale.

 

2019-03-10
1pint, 0.9oz bottle split between a pair of small Cantillon glasses. Bottled on 9/19/17. Gift from @mr-jj.

Pours pinksh with no head and a lot of carbonation that doesn't seem to be moving anywhere. Smell is tart cherries.

Taste is very, very sour, with a lot of cherry flavor.

Mouthfeel is super light and dry. Overall...it's a very good beer, as long as you like cherry and tartness (which I do).

 

 

500 mL bottle. Pale red body. Smells of cherry, oak, some jamminess. Light notes of autolysis. Tastes very sour. Again, hints of autolysis, but never quite gets there. Cherry is more subdued. Oak and very dry finish. Light with low carbonation. It's ok.

 

 

Would’ve enjoyed with more body, carbonation, and complexity. Pretty nose and nice cherry flavor but leaves me wanting more.

 

 

 

Appearance - Pours hazy ruby red color with very thin white head that is gone before you can sit the glass down, no lacing.

Aroma - Oak, vinegar, strong tart sour cherries, yeast.

Taste - Upfront lots of cherry, tart sour, nice. Very balanced it is not overly tart the barrel adds some nice depth.

Feel - Medium bodied pretty dry finish with a perfect amount of carbonation.

Overall - Very well done the flavors are just right and still not watered down with the lower ABV. Great body.

 

 

 

L: Had this on-tap, at Westbrook, poured into a snifter glass. Had a dark reddish color and a hazy texture. There was a quarter inch of foamy head that lasted a good amount of time. Not much lacing, though.

S: A good aroma of cherries, yeast, malt, a vinous quality, and oak barrels.

T: Tasted of moderate amount of Belgian-style yeast, a good amount of the vinous quality, some oaky notes, lots of cherries, and some other dark fruits as well. A very funky and surprisingly aggressive flavor. Definitely cherry-centric, but still tasty. Interesting and quite delicious.

F: An above average amount of carbonation with a somewhat dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is one of those well done and slightly offbeat wild ales. Certainly drinkable.