Petite Sour Reserva Marionberry
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

One of the last beers of March Madness 2018.

Pours a dark red with a little bit of light brown to it. I dig the label design. Less earty, dark in appearance than say a flanders red. Big sour nose, moderate berry impact.

Taste is a 7.5/10 sour power level largely lemon forward with the berry notes following. Big dry finish. Slightly vinous. Has that bretty cling on the teeth and drying factor as well. Not actually sure what a marionberry is, but the taste is that of blackberry, dark grape and cranberry. Has a degree of that red wine like area somewhere in between rose and cabernet. Carbonation right where it should be. I dig the low abv, even easier to enjoy such a beer. Its firmly a wild ale in every way.

I don't know that I've had many, if any crooked stave beers I don't like. I wish they were a little more affordable, but they are almost always worth it, and I think they are always worth it on tap.

 

 

 

Ruby red in color with excellent clarity. Not much in the way of head. The aroma is prominently of tart marionberries, blueberries, and Brettanomyces. The mouth is crisp, dry, and refreshing.

 

 

 

Pours a hazy crimson color. 1/4 inch head of an off-pink color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of strong bacterial funk, fruit, and slight yeast. Fits the style of an American Wild Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also an elevated dryness and tartness. Tastes of strong bacterial funk, fruit, slight yeast, earthiness, and a hint of pale malt. Overall, muted and simple aroma, average appearance, body and blend good, but sadly also taste indistinguishable from other Crooked Stave Reserve Fruit Series beers.

Pours deep dark pink with plenty of effervescence. Champagne/berry nose. Quickly dissipating pink head. Nice oak and berry flavor, without the sweetness. A great brunch beer.

Bright red with purple, almost fuschia edges, thin but sticky pink head. Lactic tartness hits first and then goes quickly followed by some general berry fruit notes - like a blend of raspberry, cranberry, and blackberry, finally some faded oakiness on the finish. Overall, a nice light, bright sour. Likely wouldn’t purchase again at this price but a fun one-off try.

 

Bottle bought at Liquor Shed in Casper.

Pours a hazy dark red, small pinkish head of foam, good lacing.

Smells of sour berries, oak, light Brett, acetic.

The sour berries and oak in that order, light Brett, acetic sourness catches up to the berries. I do get a slight berry sweet note or 2.

Excellent mouthfeel for the style.

Another tasty sour from Crooked Stave.

 

 

Deep hazy ruby peach color. Slight head that quickly changes to a film. Smell is mildly sour and fruity. Taste is moderately sour with remaining berry sweetness. A little research says that the marionberry is a blackberry variety; I'm not sure if I've had them before. Mouthfeel is good, a little puckering, some body with good carbonation. Overall, a very good sour, but an expensive one to try.

12.7 oz. Bottle

Poured into a Trillium glass a pretty nice clean/clear reddish/purple color, pretty nice carbonation, with a quick/fizzy/creamy small pink head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, with a shit load of marionberries, tart/sour, very slight funk, slight oakyness. The taste is pretty nice, malty, yeasty, marionberries galore, tart/sour, very slight funk, nice touch of oak. Medium body, ABV hidden nicely, with a little dry/bitter finish. Overall, a tasty brew.

they must have gotten a bunch of this fruit in at crooked stave. when i visited they had a couple of beers featuring the marionberry, this was my favorite of them. its stained purple in color, a lavender hue with some haze to it and a short head also stained from the fruit. it smells and tastes like blackberries and cranberries, both a jammy ripe sweetness off the vine, and a tart acidic fruitiness as well, a good mix of both. i also get a lot of wood, that might be the reserva part of this, a longer aged element in the blend, along with a distinct red wine character. i am not overly familiar with the marionberry as a raw fruit, but to me it tastes like blackberries here more than anything else, and i imagine this beer is showcasing the real fruit nicely, its sweet and tart at the same time, and the classic crooked stave funkiness really brings it out. drying and farmy, still saison-esque and wheaty on the grain side, long tangy finish at the end and pretty good carbonation from the tap. this is great stuff, intensely fruity but well integrated into an excellent base sour beer heavy on the wood. nicely done here, marionberries for the win!