Skully Barrel No. 5
Paradox Beer Company

I got this brown glass swingtop bottle at a local bottle shop near Castle Rock, Colorado and served it at fridge temp into a Saint Louis Alsace teku. Reviewed live. Bottle #812/1200. 7% ABV. Reviewed as a "sour ale brewed with cranberries and aged in oak wine barrels." Expectations are low given the brewery, which has delivered some truly wretched brews in the past.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: I poured with extraordinary vigor and could barely get a quarter finger head which recedes fully inside 30 seconds, leaving no lacing. Pathetic.

BODY: Intriguing sanguine red. Excellent clarity. Translucent and transparent. Clean; no floating yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Overall, the colour resembles the cranberries used, and I find it appealing for a sour in spite of its poor (lack of) head.

AROMA: Tart cranberries, cranberry juice cocktail, and faint hints of insipid oak and lightly acidic wine. It's a pretty reticent light aroma overall, and doesn't really seem evocative. Far from a unique or special aroma.

I don't find the bacteria and wild yeast notes I always hope for in a sour; frankly this doesn't seem all that sour at all - just tart. No hop character or alcohol is detectable.

TASTE: Hints of tart cranberry, insipid reticent oak, and some touches of vague wine with a bit of acidity. I don't find any malts, hops, or yeast - and much to its detriment it's barely sour at all. There's very little happening here, but I do like the berry notes and the berry skin.

Lacks much depth of flavour; it's extremely shallow. Below average flavour duration. Average flavour intensity.

Not complex, intricate, subtle, or nuanced. I do like it, but it doesn't bring much to the table.

If you're of the opinion that a sour beer should be sour, you'll have qualms with this beer.

TEXTURE: Smooth and wet. Lightly acidic. Aptly undercarbonated. Quasirefreshing. Medium-bodied. Decent presence on the palate. This texture complements the taste in a general sense. I wish it were smackier and more committed to its tartness. This isn't puckerworthy as is.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, or harsh.

OVERALL: It's not the trainwreck of a beer I've come to expect from the cats at Paradox, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Its simplicity, reticence, and shallowness really hold it back. Still, it's very drinkable and I'll have no trouble finishing this bottle alone. I do appreciate the swingtop, but in this case I won't need to use it. Worth trying once if you chance across it, but not worth seeking out - and by no means is it worth its highly unreasonable price.

Ultimately, the premise is far better than the execution.

High C

 

my first beer from paradox, and despite mixed reviews on their lineup, I liked this one a lot. its a sour ale brewed with cranberries aged in wine barrels. seems seasonal and fun. the color is hazy, thick and pink, its definitely got a lot of sediment, without a ton of head. the nose is tart from the berries, and quite sour in that quick vinegar sort of front of the palate way. its sharp, and I know what its going to taste like. the fruit is short lived, giving way to highly acidic oaky tannic flavors that are probably a little bigger than necessary. the tartness of the cranberries specifically is lost in the greater sour picture, but everything is agreeable to me in terms of flavor, and the alcohol is well hidden. it gets a little tougher to drink as it warms, and a bomber is indeed a little more than I really want in a session. its thicker for a sour, and its so acidic a high volume can turn the stomach. still, I like the creativity, and generally liked this beer quite a lot. cool for it to come out right before thanksgiving too. Ill look forward to more paradox brews.