Sparkles Finds (Some) Trouble Hibiscus Gose
Off Color Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing like what I'd expect. The only Leipzig Gose I've had is from DeGarde and that at least had some semblance of tartiness to it. On the flip side of things - this was a smooth sweet wheat of a beer that I couldn't imagine calling a Gose from any standard or definition. There's maybe a tad of salt, maybe if you try really hard to find it. There's tons of hibiscus honey sweetness that complements the wheat malt perfectly. Mouthfeel was smooth on the front of the palate until you swallow it and then the excess carbonation catches up with you. It's an interesting beer that I'm glad I tried, and I'm glad they brewed, but doubt I'd ever get again. Cheers!

 

Had at La Josie in Chicago- I’m not usually a sour guy, but this was very good. Perhaps a good way for me to ease my way into liking this style as it isn’t going away. Nice job. Bartender said this brewery is fantastic- need to get more

 

 

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle - $3.79 at Schoolhouse Beer and Brewing in Marietta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear, pinkish-hued body with an initial flush of fizz, but it drops out fairly quickly.

Smell: A bit of wrung-out sweat, some implied lactic slurs. A bit of the earthy, floral coriander. Savory, fruity, floral hibiscus vibe though light.

Taste: Abstains from being tangy or sour, instead going for a bit more sweetness. Actually, the flavor is pretty muted. Just a sustained bit of the fruitiness from the hibiscus through the softly sweet finish. There's a small blip of heat on the tail end, leaving me wondering if they used a tincture for the hobiscus.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It's fair.

 

 

Look is a nice ruby red with a finger of slight pink head. Actually very pretty looking.

Aroma is tart fruit like, salt and some wheat.

Taste is sweet floral, then some tartness and a pinch of salt.

Feel is soft and clean. The finish is pretty neutral.

Overall an interesting take on a gose and I think it came out as well as can be expected. Everything here is in pretty good balance. Just when you think the sweet hibiscus is taking over, the tartness, wheat and salt intervene to remind you that this is in fact a gose.

B- / WORTHY

I was pleasantly surprised.

Pours a cloudy red grapefruit color with a 4F head in a Gose glass.
Earthy, melon, flower aroma.

Slightly tart MF.

Extraordinary taste considering what's out there in the style. Flowers, fruit, unusual.
Absolutely none of the salt taste present in most Goses.
I will probably buy more. One of the better Goses out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here is the idea: take your second most popular recipe and start to make a product line out of it by adding something that makes that makes this obscure, sour style more palatable. Makes good sense to me and it should appeal to a larger market. And then if the brewer is particularly talented, you have a good chance of making a beer that continues the brewer's growth and the aficionados interest in the obscure style.

That good chance made a good beer here. Sparkles Looks like Troublesome, except for the pink from the hibiscus.
It Smells like Troublesome's sour, but has the fragrance of the flower to indicate something sweeter is coming.
Taste mostly is the style's sour/tart, but there is the sweet to refresh and a touch of salt to highlight it all.
Feel is light and soft, probably from the wheat.
OA: I was hesitant to buy a 4 pack of a beer that I've never Had. I'm not hesitant now. This is a very good -- if not great -- rendition on one of my favorite gose. I may even get another 4 pack before the summer is done.

8/8/17 Just finished the 4 pack. Gave Sparkles .25 Overall for being so refreshing. I may not by it again this summer, but certainly next and continue showing appreciation of Off Color's off-beat product line.

 

Slightly better than average gose. Hibiscus comes through nicely; not overbearing.

Tasted in a 12 oz snifter from draught at Firkin on May 21, 2017.

No label information. Sparkles Finds (Some) Trouble Hibiscus Gose is brewed in the style of a Gose beer with Hibiscus Flowers, available in 12 oz. bottled 4 packs and on limited draft.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a tulip glass.

(Appearance) Pours a softly rose-hued creamy white head of a crisp, foamy head over a champagne body with high clarity and abundant carbonation. Retention is good and lacing is light and spotty. 4

(Smell) Malt aroma of pilsner body and malted wheat with a gentle grassy hop aroma with light bitterness. Little aromatics come through any hibiscus inclusion and a very subtle tartness is discernible in the aroma, with an equally subtle coriander spiciness. Potency is mild. 3.5

(Taste) The flavor is noticeably more diverse in flavor range, with a moderately sweetened, fluffy wheat malt body, a modest bite of coriander and sea salt and a lightly tangy, clean finish. I don't honestly get much from the hibiscus flowers that makes this stand out from the textbook Gose, although this beer is noticeably sweeter and slightly less tangy than the average Gose example, both qualities I'm not particularly fond of in the style. Finishes lightly grassy, clean and lightly sweet. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is smooth, lightly chewy, frothy, mildly dry. Carbonation is modest, generating a medium frothiness and a mildly crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, light/medium overall. Balance is slightly sweet over tangy and acidic. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 4

(Overall) The hibiscus plays curiously into the flavors of this style, adding an additional layer of curiosity, for better or worse. This is certainly one of the sweeter Gose beers I have had recently, and one of the lesser tart, acidic and tangy ones too; both are qualities I expect are put well into check in a style transparent and clean enough to easily reveal flaws and imperfections. That said, aside from the hibiscus, this beer drinks very cleanly and like a traditional Gose. In traditional Off Color fashion, this scratches another itch of curiosity, but is one of the lesser exciting spins that I've had from them, and I'd much prefer Troublesome over this experiment. 3.75

Off Color Brewing's
Sparkles Finds (Some) Trouble
3.63/5.00

12 oz bottle. Rose colored floral Gose. Very nice.

 

Having no problem with "Troublesome", the brewers of Off Color take the floral lead by expounding upon the common perfume of coriander with true hibiscus. Its appearance sparkling and its added level of complexity alluring, their flowery, salty, sour ale has the senses wanting more.

Sparkling pink and racy with champagne-like carbonation the beer's rose wine character is front and center. A gentle waft of the sea carries the nose along with a flowery fragrance that's of wild flower, grain and bread. Tasting of sweetness and tartness on the early palate, a candied cider sensation takes hold.

The middle palate shows a weakening of sweetness and a rise of acidity to capture the essence of dry rose wine, cider, lemon, lime and apple and grape. While a soft wheat backbone keeps unnecessary sourness at bay, the flowery flavors turn herbal and lightly grassy. Its gentle salinity provides a lift to the mild lingering sweetness and breadiness for a bolder and brighter taste.

Medium-light in body, the beer's finish is brisk, briny and bright. With a linger of wheat and grain, the ale trails into a medium acidic nature with the faint oiliness of flower pedals. A quick aftertaste echoes lightly again with a fresh sea breeze earthiness.