Plum Sournova
Almanac Beer Co.

man its been a long time since i have had or seen almanac beer, this one was a cool surprise, i used to revere this brewery, but somehow it all kind of dried up in my world for a few years, havent even thought about almanac in ages. oak aged sour type with plums and vanilla beans, to me seems old and not in a great way, not like a mature funky way, in like an oxidized and fading way, both in terms of fruit and grain, and this overall was quite a bit less compelling than i expected it to be, on tap. very lightly hazed pink toned, some carbonation and lace but not much head really, lots of body, kind of murky and dull without being like grossly sedimented, not bright though, weighty and unrefined anyway. the nose is okay, generic fruitiness, bacterial sourness, some wooden tannic character, very light vanilla and wheaty type malt sweetness even though this is pale to look at and all, light raspberry and hibiscus nuance, but also cheerio dust and weird fermenty character, lightly cheesy and not ideally developed brett to me, which trounces the fruit in the second half of this in the nose, and is similar in the flavor. sourness is mid level, lemony and sharp, but there is funk too, i expected a little more from the ferment overall, it almost hits a tad amateurish for these guys, knowing how high level their best is. the plum presents in taste as somewhat generic fruitiness, and although i am thankful that vanilla doesnt dominate, its also not as present as it could be at the key moments of this, the whole thing does sag some, and im wondering if i am just catching this wrong, wanted a lot more from it overall. plum has some floral aspect to it, late vinous elements in play too, dusty and almost overly grainy at the end. okay to fine, but not nearly to the level these guys are capable of, and lackluster on the whole unfortunately. ill revisit this in the can if i see it at some point in that format...

1 PINT can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours amber with a pinkish tint and a nice haze to it. It is topped with a minimal tan head that leaves spotty lacing.

Nice plum notes. Great sour and funky aromas. Hints of dank basement.

Funky tasty with flavors of dank cellar and just the right amount of sourness. Not overly sour, but just enough to make it delicious. Then, of course, there is a light plum flavor that compliments the funky sourness of this beer.

Lighter bodied with a thin mouthfeel

Very nice plum sour. I enjoyed everything about it except the price to ship it home.

 

Canned 9/10/20

Here we go again with this series. Always a treat, I feel they could go anywhere with the fruit additions in these. Let's see how it holds up to the rest of them

Pours a wonderful opaque pinkish orange with just a finger of white head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose here is about the same as the others. Leathery funk, citric tartness, sharp oak, and a touch of overripe plum. Some sweetness from the vanilla

The taste builds up in tartness, climaxing at the swallow. To start things off, there is way more plum than aroma suggested, sharp lemon, vanilla, and a bit of bretty funk. On the swallow, the tartness is through the roof briefly, which ushers in flavors of leather, strawberry, and wet hay after it subsides. Definitely took a few interesting turns flavor-wise

A light-medium feel pairs with light tingling carbonation, resulting in an extremely refreshing beer. Finishes somewhere between dry and sticky, with the tartness and barrel drying it out whereas the fruit thickens it

Another great one in the series. As always, I can't wait to try the next one I find