Straight Up Winter Blackberry Sour
Radical Road Brewing Co.

355 mL can from the LCBO; dated Jan 6 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a relatively clear golden colour with a bit of a pinkish hue; situated atop is half a finger of tight, foamy white head that vanishes within sixty seconds. A thin collar is left encircling a filmy layer on the surface, with very little lace production at first, though it does leave behind some rings as the level drops. Blackberries come through on the nose clearly, accompanied by hints of wheaty malts, grape/pear juice sweetness and a very muted hint of lactic sourness. Honestly the berries come off as kind of artificial, but the aroma in general is still pleasing.

Not a bad little soured ale - blackberry flavour and subtly lemony lactic acidity get things started, joined by notes of grainy, wheaty pale malts and fruity pear juice sweetness by mid-sip. The berries and lacto sourness remain the driving force through to the finish, which includes a hint of black raspberry tartness before concluding with more blackberry lingering into a tart aftertaste that soon dries off. Light in body, with middling carbonation levels that lend a little bit of spritz to this brew's smooth, slightly slick mouthfeel. Very good drinkability, potentially even sessionable, though $3.50 per short can - that's $21 per sixer, if you prefer - is kinda steep for what you get.

Final Grade: 3.71, a passable B grade. Straight Up Winter Blackberry is the first soured ale from Radical Road that I've had the chance to try, and it didn't give me all that much to complain about. No, it's not a complex sour, and the blackberry does come off as a little fake on the nose, but it tastes alright to me. Worth a shot at least, though I don't think it's something that I'd enthusiastically recommend... unless of course you really love blackberry beers.