Crooked Stave Petite Sour With Hibiscus And Cinnamon | Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

3.84/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

No label information. Petite Sour: Hibiscus & Cinnamon is brewed in the style of an American Wild Ale brewed with hibiscus and cinnamon, aged in oak. Available in 12.7 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 12.7 oz. bottle to a tulip glass.

(Appearance) Pours a rouge-hued white crisp foam head over a very mildly hazy copper-champagne body with lively carbonation. Retention is average and lacing is light and patchy. 3.5

(Smell) An unusual but inviting aroma of caramelized malts with the impact of softly tangy fruit, a subtle tweak of earthy cinnamon and prickle of bitter raw hibiscus, giving the aroma a prickle of liveliness against the richer-than-expected malt body, preventing an overall cloying aroma. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) A fine-tuning of the aroma generates a rich but clean caramelized malt body blended with the soft, warming spice of cinnamon, quickly transitioning to a tart, dry finish with a trailing hibiscus bitterness to match. Very unique and punctuated flavors, transitioning better than expected, with both the cinnamon and hibiscus adding subtle compliments to the flavor, instead of dominating the flavor with overbearing spice and vegetal bitterness. 4

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, smooth, very dry. Carbonation is moderate, generating a light frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, medium overall. Balance is nearly even tangy and acidic to caramelized sweetness. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters overall. 3.75

(Overall) Another experimental sour by Crooked Stave with overall pleasing results. The cinnamon plays a nice complimentary role as a sidekick to the rich, clean malt body and the hibiscus accents the tart, bitter and immensely dry finish. Altogether, they form a sharply punctuated sour ale with sharp transitions without generating cloying or overbearing compounds themselves. There are many entries in the Petite Sour series, but this one is quite an enjoyable sampler. 3.75

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project's
Petite Sour: Hibiscus & Cinnamon
/5.00

★ 2,098 characters

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a murky, ruby red body. Head is 1/5th of an inch and pearl white. Head retention is good and lacing is great.

Smell is of citric acid, slight hay and band aid. Hibiscus and cinnamon are barely there, I get cinnamon stick a bit more. Alcohol is non existent.

First taste is of puckering acidity. Heavy doses of barnyard funk mix with light hibiscus and cinnamon . Straw malt detected, hops and alcohol are not.

Mouthfeel is light and well carbonated. Halfway through bottle, inside of mouth is tingling from sourness.

Overall it was a solid beer but I was hoping for more hibiscus and cinnamon. At about 8 bucks a bottle I probably wouldn't buy again.

★ 662 characters

4.21/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Dry and bright with a subtle brett cheese underneath. The cinnamon is subtley played, a woody accent to the floral red berry notes of the hibiscus. Dry medium body and a crisp finish.

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4.09/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle, bottles March 2015, poured into a tulip glass

A- pours a beautiful ruby red color with a small fizzy white head that disappears completely, leaving nothing behind

S- fruity and tart aroma with notes of red berries, underlying notes of spiced wood, sweet floral, lemon peel, lactic sourness, lemon head candy and a trace of cinnamon & whiskey

T- flavor profile isn't as complex as the aroma. Notes of red berry fruit up front mixes with toasted oak, sweet floral notes, tart lemon, lactic notes & a hint of cinnamon that comes out on the close

M- medium-light body with low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a bone dry puckering finish

O- an interesting blend that has some nice red fruity notes, I wish the cinnamon were a bit more noticeable

★ 773 characters

3.88/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is a clear bright ruby red with a tight light pink head. Nose is cherry, citrus, faint cinnamon spice, apple skin, and light plastic brett. Taste is similar, tart cherry, tangerine, citrus, green apple skin, finish is bretty, well carbonated, with a delicate feel. Some sourness comes in through the back. Decent stuff.

★ 328 characters

3.37/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

the hibiscus give the beer a great color. I barely taste the cinnamon and spices, and in general I notice a complete lack in flavor. I have had better from crooked stave

★ 169 characters

4.19/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

375ml bottle. Dated March 2015. Served in a stemmed glass 5/14/2015.

Dark pink-purple body, one finger light pink head, good retention. Thin film, moderate sized collar, bubbly. Smells of leather, flower petals, light raspberry, a bit of citrus. Mild pie crust sweetness from the base. Not in-your-face intense, but a nice complexity to it. Flavour is mild raspberry, a very small bit of cinnamon spice that is very mellow- not Abraxas-level cinnamon- and adds a nice flavour and doesn't get in the way of the other flavours. Also, hibiscus, a bit of citrus acidity, mild-moderate acidity that isn't bracing in any way. A fair amount of the now-standard Crooked Stave brett flavours- leather, oak, citrus. Very good. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, soft, good carbonation, slightly dry with a fair amount of depth. Easy to drink, refreshing. Overall, another nice sour from Crooked Stave. I was afraid there would be too much cinnamon, but there isn't much of it here. The hibiscus contributes more character, which makes for a nice floral, flower petal-like flavour which works well on top of the base sour ale.

★ 1,109 characters

3.94/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Type: 375ml bottle (12.7 oz.)
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary snifter glass
From: Beer Advocate’s ucsbmullett
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received on April 16, 2015
Consumed: May 7, 2015
Misc.: Bottled in March 2015; Bottle reads 5.5 pct. ABV, not 6 pct. like on Beer Advocate

Thanks Nick!

Poured a copper, amber, murky color with two fingers of bubbly, off-white head. A serene setting underneath the head. Average amount of spotty, foamy lacing on the sides of the glass. Above average retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled cinnamon, molasses, sour cherry, Smarties, plum juice and unknown peppery spices. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste was better than the nose. Got sour cherry, specifically sour cherry chewy candy, Smarties, plum and Sweet Tarts, giving way to spicy cinnamon stick late. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium-to-light body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Long, tarty, acidic finish. (Feel - 4.00)

Just a really good sour. Would love to have it again. Thanks Nick! (Overall - 4.00)

3.94 | 88 | B+

★ 1,005 characters

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep pink-tinged rose red. Head is light pink and starts off fluffy and loose and drops to a small slightly fizzy collar. No cap or lacing of which to speak.Slightly hazy but drops to mostly clear after it warms a bit.

Smell: Lactic tartness up front with a solid push of dried flower petal and oak. Hibiscus throws some bitter floral notes as well. Cinnamon is buried in the back and only really comes out once it reaches room temperature. Sharp citric nose as well. Some musty basement and damp dark fruit...mostly cherry. Hint of dark cherry skin. Powdery yeast and sweet fruit juice. Damp and slightly musty. Almost like tart oaky fruit punch.

Taste: Follows the nose almost to a T. Lactic push on the initial sip gives way to a nice solid citric bite. Some dark cherry and other vague fruit reinforces the tropical fruit vibe from the nose. Lots of oak. Hibiscus adds a nice floral element and some mild bitterness. Cinnamon creeps out as it warms and after a few sips adding a slightly sweet spiciness to the back. Lemon rind and lemon zest. Almost sweet but never actually makes it. Remarkably clean.

Mouthfeel: Medium leaning to light body with minimal carbonation. Slightly astringent, but not nearly as much as it should be given the tart nature.

Overall: A little goes a long way.

Not an abrasive or big "sour" and that's exactly the way it should be. A nice balance of fruit and bugs and oak. The cinnamon could dial up a touch, but that's really the weakest part of the experience.

★ 1,511 characters

4.44/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375mL bottle into a Teku
Bottled on: March 2015


A: Very hazy, bright ruby red with just under 1 fingers width of pink tinged head that dissipates quickly and leaves only the faintest patches of lacing. 4.5

S: Lactic tartness, a bit fruity, quiet herbaceous, some burnt plastic like funk, hibiscus is noticeable but cinnamon is very subtle and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if not for the name. Very nice though. 4.25

T: Very tart, lots of vinous fruity characters, oak. Again hibiscus is very noticeable and pleasant, but cinnamon is only very subtle. Great combination of sweet and tart. 4.5

M/D: Lighter side of medium bodied, carbonation appropriate, drying on the finish, drinkability is very good. 4.5

O: Loved this beer. Well done CS. 4.5

★ 770 characters

4.17/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at his tasting.

2013 vintage. Batch 5/7/13.

Pours a hazy light reddish-orange with a foamy bone head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour with hibiscus, floral, cinnamon, wood, and fruit whiskey aromas. Taste is much the same with sour floral, cinnamon, acidic, wood, and fruit whiskey flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with an interesting mix of floral, cinnamon, and fruit whiskey aspects all around.

Serving type: bottle.

★ 707 characters

4.02/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 375mL bottle into a tulip glass.

Very unique color in that it's kriek like but more like the inside of a grapefruit in color and cloudy. The head is pale white but tinged by redness. I am intrigued by what I see.

Tart orchard fruitiness and something that suggest fruit punch. Smells juicy. Nothing really stands out though.

Hibiscus is more apparent on the flavor, imparting some bitter, earthy and yet vibrant fruity flavor that suggests citrus. Hints of cherry work their way in. I start noticing the cinnamon but it's hard to detect and I could easily miss it if I wasn't aware of what I was drinking.

It's heavily tart, earthy and finishes dry, which is pretty damn true to hibiscus. It drinks like a hibiscus tea with a maltier base.

Pretty good. No complaints.

★ 784 characters

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives at the bar the color of pink lemonade and the head carries that tone as well; some squiggly lacing hangs around for a while

Smell: Tart, with berries, lemons and hibiscus floral tones

Taste: Berry, lemon and floral hibiscus tones, up front, with funk and oaky elements building; increasingly tart, from the middle through the finish, with just a hint of the cinnamon developing at the end

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: An interesting beer but I am not a huge fan of the flavor profile compared to some others I have tasted from Crooked Stave

★ 597 characters

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Cheers Miles!

Apple and cinnamon along with some spicing..the cinnamon?..on the nose

More of an oaked cranberry vibe with some barrel related tannins on the finish.

Interesting beer...a fun try

★ 196 characters

4.8/5  rDev +16.5%

May 2013 batch. Just below cellar temps. Served into a Crooked Stave tulip (classy).

Pours a beautiful hazy pinkish/red with no head or lacing. Nose is obviously hibiscus and cinnamon forward, tart lemon, green grapes and apples, light oak, and mild peach notes. Very nice. The taste is Hibiscous, peach, tangerine, apple, grapes, light cinnamon spice and finishes is vanilla, oaky, sour, and dry. Mouthfeel is light bodied with ample carbonation, and medium-full sourness. Theres a solid pucker.

Oh my god this beer is phenomenal! I wish I had more than this one. The cinnamon is mostly olfactory, but the hibiscous melds so well with the tart fruits and oak in this one. Seek one out, because I'll be seeking out more!!!!

★ 727 characters

4.14/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

At this point, the adjunct are gone in taste

A- Brilliant transparent rose in color. Medium light pink lacing with medium legs.

S- The hibiscus comes through here big. Big floral with nice tart sour, bretty and vinegary.

T- Kinda tastes like a cherry blonde sour, some more distinct flavors in there, with the smallest amount of cinnamon deep in the back.

M- Very watery, a tad creamy. Carb is on point.

O- This one was probably best day of bottling. Though it still tastes like a great sour.

★ 501 characters

3.53/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A clear reddish/ruby pour. White head that vanished somewhat quickly.

Aroma was tart and fruity. Roses and florals. Some spice, but no cinnamon

Flavor had a nice bouquet of florals and raspberry. Alas not any cinnamon. Not a big thing, but was expected more spice.

Sharp tartness, sour on the end. Dry finish.
This bottle was a year old, stored in cellar conditioned. While a nice beer, nothing special. It was part of the cellar reserve membership. I would not have minded a substitution

★ 493 characters

3.13/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Big thanks to my trading partner Jerriko for giving me the chance to try this. It is a surprising color, bright pink with almost zero head, just a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. I still think it looks good though. The aroma is a little bit of bile and vomit, sort of reminiscent of the first petite sour guava. As it warms I get a mild hint if cinnamon. It's not offensive but the smell isn't a high point. Fortunately the flavor is a little better. Only mildly tart, slight but of whiskey on the finish, a touch floral and a little bit of fruit juice in there. Overall it's an extremely easy beer to drink on a hot day but I wouldn't purchase this, certainly not at the price point crooked stave sets their beers at.

★ 732 characters

4.21/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

this is s beer ive had a number of times now, and its different every time. ahh the beauty of wild yeast! the first couple of times, i was turned off by the intensity of the cinnamon and the perfumey nature of the hibiscus. i thought both were a little overdone, and that came at the expense of the beer itself. the sourness has always been there, but as its evolved in the bottle over time, its come a long way. i now get the beer first and the additives as highlights, which makes for a great and very unique combination. the cinnamon has calmed way down, and serves to further dry out an already extremely dry finish, and the hibiscus springboards off of the effervescent carbonation and really lightens this beer up and gives it a warm weather blooming sort of vibe. the yeast is bretty like a wild saison, floral too, but the sourness has amplified over time to where its got some real pleasant acidity on the back end. overall i like this beer a lot, especially what its become now, and look forward to finding another bottle sometime down the road to see where it goes from here. not much out there like this, thats for certain.

edit: the new batch that just came out is pretty killer too. i dont remember it being this crazy color, its literally neon pink now, but the flavor profile is similar, less sour obviously than some of the aged bottles ive had, but it will get there. cool recipe, glad to see it resurrected.

★ 1,427 characters

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a vibrant berry red, nearing magenta. Somewhat cloudy. Small off white head. After a minute or two, only a ring of bubbles with wisps across the surface remain. The aroma is a fruity mix of flavors. There's hibiscus along with blackberries, raspberries, lemons, apples and a fruity floral quality, not quite sure what to call it. I'm a little surprised to pick up some of the cinnamon, kinda expected it to have faded or dominated by the other flavors. Mild whiskey note. Some oak. The barrel mostly seems to contribute some fairly strong vanilla. The hibiscus/berries still are in control, but the vanilla adds some good sweetness. The taste is medium sour. Starts with berry and vanilla sweetness, before tarter berries and lemons take over. Oak in the finish. Not much funk but it's there a bit. Sourness seem mostly lactic. Overall, it's quite dry. Fairly effervescent at first, but it settles pretty quickly. Pretty light on the palate. Lingering lactic aftertaste with a medium pucker. Very good beer. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one, but it's probably my second favorite from CS, after Batch #1.

★ 1,126 characters

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Wow. Purple-ish-red in color with the most pure white head I have ever seen on a beer. That head rose and fell within 15 seconds or so, leaving some of that pure white wispiness to cover about 50% of the surface of the beer. The beer is fairly clear with a slight haze and some slow moving bubbles rising to the top.

SMELL: A very tart, apple-like aroma dominates this smell with a little bit of peach and some flowers, but not even a hint of cinnamon yet. OK, as the beer warms, a touch of cinnamon does show up in the aroma.

TASTE: Haha. That is incredibly tart! The cinnamon is there, but it is subtle, just a quick flash of an appearance, mid-tongue, early in the sip. Again, this is tart. Apples, peaches and the flowers all come through. Intense. I am not getting much at all from the bourbon other than the fruit flavors, just a touch of oak at the end.

MOUTHFEEL: Puckering, to an extreme. Actually to the point where I giggled before my first sip. The carbonation only serves to add to that pucker, with a nice strong, soda-like tickle.

OVERALL: Another excellently executed sour beer from Crooked Stave. There is a lot going on here and it all somehow comes together.

★ 1,194 characters

3.8/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Bright red. Mostly clear. Small white head and some wisps.

Smell - Minimal acidity. Oak. Vanilla and whiskey.

Taste - More berry like. A bit of tang. The cinnamon makes it tastes a bit medicinal. Some oak and whiskey in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Low sourness. Medium body.

Overall - Tasty. The cinnamon is a bit odd.

★ 371 characters

4.64/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From a 375 ml bottle (dated May 7, 2013) into a tulip. Also, my bottle says 5.5% ABV, not the 6% noted on the website....

A-The brew sports a fat finger of reddish-pink foam that fades pretty quickly and leaves some stray lacing. The beer is mostly clear, still-looking in the glass, and cranberry in color. Nothing crazy to look at, but an attractive brew.

S-The smell is very tart...almost sour. I get a nice mixture of berries, lemon, and floral hibiscus, as well as some dry cinnamon and oak. The funkiness grows as the brew warms up, but never gets sweaty or barnyard-y. It is complex and inviting.

T-The taste is very tart up front with a wave of floral, acidic, green apple sourness. Then another wave of tartness hits in the middle with lemon and cranberry. The beer mellows out with light bourbon, peach, vanilla, and finally some oak and cinnamon on the drying finish. Acidity is moderate, and is tempered barrel character. As with the smell, the funkiness is mostly in the background.

M-The feel is somewhat oily with a coating effect on the palate and a medium heft. Carbonation level is pretty low and soft, but higher than many CS beers.

O-This is a great brew and one of my favorites from CS. There is a lot going on here and the many layers of flavor are a bit much to handle, but they work well together. I especially enjoy the transition from sour punch up front to a more mellow finish with the bourbon barrel coming through. The end result is complex, drinkable, interesting, and delicious.

★ 1,515 characters

3.87/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle May 7, 2013. Poured in to snifter.

A - Opaque bright red colour with a thin layer of white head with a slight red tinge to it.

S - A good sourness is eveident in the nose. Bready sweetness, oak, cherry. Not much else coming through, especially no cinnamon, hibiscus or whiskey. A nice nose, but I don't detect some of the main elements of the beer.

T - A slightly puckering sourness with hibiscus, cherry, oak and a big bready sweetness coming through. A light peach presence in the background and the faintest hint of whiskey shows up as the beer really warmed up.

M - Medium body. Exceptionally dry. Light carbonation.

★ 633 characters

4.63/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Ruby, almost grapefruit, red with a nice frothy white and pink head.

S - Tart lemon, sweet tarts, and lactic acid make us the sharp aspects of the nose. There are also hints of the floral hibiscus, cherry, cinnamon spice and light oak that make themselves known in the back of the nose. As it warms up, you get more of the peach and apple whiskey presence in it.

T - Tart up front with lemon, a sharp balsamic vinegar, and sweet tarts. There is a light funk in the middle as well as a slight floral presence which softness the initial tartness. The finish is still dominated by the tartness but there are strong hints of the cinnamon as well as peach whiskey.

M - Lots of carbonation initially that make the beer sharp and deliver the tart flavors well. The carbonation does settle down near the finish as the other flavors roll in.

O - This is one of those beer descriptions that when you read it you can't believe it will all hang together yet Crooked Stave does a great job of letting it meld together gracefully. Was impressed by this one.

★ 1,052 characters