Pomegranate Sour
Free Will Brewing Co.

 

 

the higher end of free will apparently, this is the best (and absolutely the most ambition) beer i had of theirs while i was in PA. fashioned like a lambic apparently, i think the base beer lacks that woody, aged, wheaty farmy funk that i look for in traditional lambic, but the sourness is there, there is some maturity to it, dry on the malt side, and still rather rustic, just maybe not as complex, oaky, or wild overall. the fruit though really makes this for me, base beer aside, its fresh and true to the pomegranate, with a nice complimentary tartness that is a nice lead in to the bacterial sourness in the finish. reminds me of the holidays for a second, but also feels tropical, a cool duality of vibes there. its stained pink, drinks fresh, and has a really strong natural flavor. this is a fruit i have never seen in a lambic type beer before, which is surprising because as this one demonstrates, its a beautiful companion to a sour beer like this. looks like they have a ton of different fruited variants of this one, which is awesome, and the bottles look sharp and come at a reasonable price. i think there could be a bit more rustic funk to the base beer, but i like the use of the fruit here a lot! my favorite of the free will stuff i have had now...

On-tap 4/3/2017 at Natty Greene’s Tavern in North Attleboro, MA, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright orange/amber color, with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains esters, wild yeast, pomegranate and light caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out with a burst of tartness from pomegranate and wild yeast. Then some mild breadiness comes in from a thin malt character. There are some background flavors of citrus and caramel that create a good balance. The after-taste is tart.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and clean.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid sour beer to drink for a while.

 

Poured from a tall corked bottle into a Dogfish tulip

L: Clear ruby colored pour with a finger of white head. Better lacing than expected.

S: Fruity... pomegranate and tart cherry. A bit of funk and definitely sour.

T/F: Sharp and fruity up front... definite pomegranate, baking cherries, and a dash of lemon. Funky and tart without being overwhelmingly sour. Surprisingly balanced with some sweetness as well. Aggressively carbonated. Medium to thin in body. Astringent... fruity aftertaste.

O: A surprisingly delicious offering from Free Will. Tart and fruity... would definitely look for this one again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 vintage.
A: Light pink body with a thin amount of white head.

S: Funky pomegranate with a nice pungent sourness.

T: Pomegranate sweetness up front and then a sour funkiness and plenty of oak.

M: Light and fizzy carbonation.

O: Delicious Lambic style sour ale.