Sour Sun Saft
Evil Twin Brewing

 

 

Date: Evil Twin say, f**k it.

Appearance: Sour Sun Saft looks like a fruited sour in the glass, it has a pinkish hue... hell, it just looks like grapefruit juice with a minimal white head.

Aroma: It may look like a fruited sour, but it smells like an IPA with tons of bright and pungent spruce tip pine aromas and yeah, there is mint in here all right. The juicy red berries aroma is no slouch either, but they don't give the impression that they will be overly sweet. I am also getting a watermelon like aroma and to a much greater degree than the black currents.

Taste: This is a weird one on the taste, it sweet, fruity, and a touch medicinal up front with those elements fading into this robust spruce pine flavor toward the middle. The significant watermelon flavor is present on the taste as well. The mint is spread throughout, but really explodes toward the finish with an actual authentic "I'm chewing on a mint leaf" taste. The berry and mint flavors linger on the palate for a decent amount of time afterward. The mix of herbal pine laden hops and the mint and berry flavor almost make this seem less like beer and more like a gin cocktail. The mouthfeel is full, a little creamy, and perfectly carbonated. Not bad, but some of the base product is lost with all the assertive adjuncts. Try it if you're curious.

 

 

 

I was expecting something different. I though this might be heavier and with hops. I would say that it is a fun beer to try heading into summer after a long cold winter of imperial stouts. The color is ripe grapefruit red. The mint was very detectable to me. 8% ABV is hidden. I am searching out beers where hops meet sour. This one kind of got me there.

 

There seems to be a shift in the trendy IPA sub styles. West Coast, then New England, then brut, then smoothie, and now... cocktail IPA. The bold use of blackcurrant, mint and sweetness upon an otherwise bitter and dry beer gives Evil Twin and edge in the leadership of this shift.

Hazy and indigo mauve, Sour Sun Saft pours with a creamy appearance and releasing a soapy off white froth. Its mint leading aromas are highly fragrant with hints of tea while the fruity floral undertones play out like black berry, raspberry and lemonade. Sweet on the tongue, a notion of simple syrups, agave and a creaminess of bread dough wash the early palate in a malty sucrose tone.

The flavors mingle seamlessly on the middle palate as the green, spicy and menthol character of mint is soothed by the sweeter aspects of malt. All the while, the blackcurrant adds a robust fruit flavor while its tangy and nearly tannic spices facilitate crispness and sharpness late in the session. Hop bitterness pulls from a citrusy, tropical and melon-like taste to have the taste trending truly IPA-like.

Medium full from the persistence of stubborn malt flavors, the fruit forward and mint impact overtake the hops for a taste that's much more cocktail-like than anything else. Perfect as a fruity tea mixed drink, the world is the brewer's pantry sometimes as a fault to the beer even if its taste is quite nice. A finish of malt sweetness and evaporative spice applies a balance to the taste in a medium length afterglow.

16 ounce can into tulip glass; no can dating, but was just released. Pours very hazy deep ruby red/pink/purple/orange color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky light pink head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy black currants, mint leaves, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical hops, currants, mint, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy black currants, mint leaves, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Very mild pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, grassy, spicy bitterness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Hint of increasing cooling mint. Lingering notes of black currants, mint leaves, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops, currants, mint, and bready malt flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and tart/tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/acidic/tangy mouuthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an excellent fruited/spiced NEIPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops, currants, mint, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the mildly bitter/tart/tangy/drying finish; great soft feel. Feels like mostly Citra. Extremely juicy hops/fruit, with light dank/earthy mint; and a great balancing wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable, unique, and well made style example as expected. This was a bit weird, but it works. Grew on me through the glass. Not overwhelming on any aspect.