Strawberry Basil Sournova
Almanac Beer Co.

 

 

16 oz can poured into a snifter. Aroma is fresh tart strawberries...wow...with some oak and funkiness. Taste is similar but includes some wheatiness and more funk and oak than the aroma. Moderate acidity. Not really getting any basil but it does have great depth of flavor. Overall, a very tasty wild sour fruited oak-aged beer.

 

 

not the first strawberry and basil beer i have had from these guys. this is tasty and drinkable. i like the can declaring that its a kettle sour, have to distinguish yourself from the others out there, especially now that every single beer seems to be coming out in pint cans, sours of all persuasions included, so it makes sense to call this out. unfortunately though, this isnt quite as woody and wild as i want it to be. i appreciate it not being overly acidic, but this doesnt seem real mature, mellow, or bretty to me, the fresh berries really pop in here, sweeten this up quite a bit, and maybe cover up some yeast nuance due to potency. the basil is an accent, but its there, and its real, i love that element in this and wouldnt mind it being more forward in the mix. a little lemony acidity, a white wine note and some tannins there, subtle kiwi fruit suggestion too here, maybe happening because of the strawberries. its jammy and its fresh and flavorful, a little funky, and little tangy, but approachable and good. its been ages since i have had anything new from almanac, so this was fun. more basil next time!

 

 

 

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 7/18/2019. Pours very hazy/cloudy deep golden/orange/amber color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, basil, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, melon, 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/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of strawberries, basil, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, basil, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, melon, 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/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, Brett/fruit tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, basil, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of strawberries, basil, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/tangy/spiciness balance; with zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tang/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.5%. Overall this is an outstanding fruited sour/wild ale. All around awesome. complexity, robustness, and balance of strawberries, basil, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, refreshing, and fairly crisp/clean to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic soft feel, and mellowly lactic. Fantastic balance of big juicy berries, basil, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great oak presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Light residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.