Rough Trail
West Sixth Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Aroma is wheaty and tart, with a lactic bent and a touch of floral funk.

Flavor reveals a fairly sweet, unexpectedly so, malt backbone, which is countered initially by lactic sourness, then lingers into the finish, which becomes dry and lightly grainy. As the sourness opens up, notes of lime and peach emerge. Wish the sweetness were less prominent.

The palate gets sour lemon, dry white wine, light white grape with some wheat malt and grain. This is is a wild ale that drinks very clean without too much tartness and an easy refreshing feel.

As the popularity of sour ales are on the rise, the task before the brewers are to create quality acidic ales and to compete in the crowded craft beer market. The kettle souring techniques that West Sixth brewers employ leave us with a crisp, clean and acutely tangy flavor spectrum.

Rough Trail pours the hazy canary straw austere that's common to berlinerweiss. Its dainty and feathery froth carries the scent of sour fruit across the nose with faint nuances of wine must. The early palate is stricken with a soft candied sweetness and fresh baked dough before being broken apart by the acids within.

The middle palate is awash with all things sour fruit- lemon, lime, green apple, gooseberry, peach, pear- all mixed with sparkling dry white wine; sangria-style. Pure and clean, the taste is dedicated to the punch of sourness as it forgoes the musty notes found in the nose. Light citrusy bitterness dresses the acidity as the taste begins to close.

Light on the palate, the beer's strong carbonation gives slight bite and highlights the beer's minerally, iron-like character. As a refreshing and clean lactic taste lingers on the after palate, memories of sour fruit and wine remain.