Hibiscus Sour
Side Launch Brewing Company
- From:
- Side Launch Brewing Company
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Fruited Sour Ale
Ranked #439 - ABV:
- 4.2%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #25,462 - Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 12.93%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 12, 2025
- Added:
- Jun 28, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
We've taken our kettle sour base and infused a deconstructed hibiscus and rose hip tea during fermentation. The result is an eye-catching rosé sour with top notes of wild flower, citrus and red fruit. This compliments the complex and subtle lemony-tart and berry-rich flavour.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by talisen-crw from Canada (ON)
4.25/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From the Real Canadian Superstore on Walker Rd. in nearby Windsor. Canned December 12/24. My fourth beer from the Collingwood, Ontario brewery, and third for 2025. With Gracie the cat...
March 26/26: At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. No date stamp or lot number. My 2nd time drinking this, and 1st for 2026. Exceedingly embraced by Gracie the cat...
Oct 12, 2025March 26/26: At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. No date stamp or lot number. My 2nd time drinking this, and 1st for 2026. Exceedingly embraced by Gracie the cat...
Reviewed by Mikehicks100 from Canada (ON)
2.75/5 rDev -27.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.75/5 rDev -27.4%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Pours a little bit of foam that goes away quick. Nice pinkish red color. Smells of sour berries.
Tastes of sour raspberry with hints of roasted grain on the after taste. It's quite good if you like sour beers.
I couldn't drink too many sours at a time as they aren't entirely my thing but it's nice for a 1st drink.
Aug 15, 2025Tastes of sour raspberry with hints of roasted grain on the after taste. It's quite good if you like sour beers.
I couldn't drink too many sours at a time as they aren't entirely my thing but it's nice for a 1st drink.
Rated by ewpass from Canada (PE)
3.78/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Light pink with a modest fuzzy head. Floral nose. Tart fruity body. Refreshing.
Oct 12, 2021
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
4.04/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.04/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Jun 31 2019 and served slightly chilled.
Pours hazy, with a salmon pinkish-orange hue to its body; at the surface, one finger of foamy, off white-coloured head dissipates rather swiftly, being wholly reduced to a thin, unremarkable collar in about ninety seconds. Other than that, only a few specks of lace remain; a very small amount of flocculent sediment is also noticeable. The aroma is quite floral and fruity, as you'd expect of a beer brewed with rosehips and hibiscus. Raspberry comes to mind, as does lemon, along with just a hint of grainy, wheaty malts.
Certainly one of the more approachable sours I've had, with its lemony, lactic sourness integrating together quite nicely with its flavours of raspberry juice, hibiscus and rosehip tea, all supported by a lightly grainy wheat malt backbone. That's the status quo through to the finish, where the berry finally starts to fade, but the floral, lightly herbal accents linger on the taste buds just a smidge longer before eventually drying the palate off. Light in body, with moderate carbonation levels that provide a bit of a bite to its otherwise smooth, kind of watery texture. Highly refreshing, almost like drinking a (carbonated) raspberry herbal iced tea.
Final Grade: 4.04, an A-. Side Launch's Hibiscus Sour is not exactly complex, but as a low abv, fruity summer refresher it really has no need to be. I'd also say that it's less sour than their Dry Hopped Sour, which may or may not be a plus for you - I'd be happy with either one, really, though I suppose the hotter it is outside, the more I'd start to lean in this beer's direction. Worth a try before all the decent patio weather of 2019 is gone and done with - I know I'll be picking up a few more cans in the near future.
Sep 05, 2019Pours hazy, with a salmon pinkish-orange hue to its body; at the surface, one finger of foamy, off white-coloured head dissipates rather swiftly, being wholly reduced to a thin, unremarkable collar in about ninety seconds. Other than that, only a few specks of lace remain; a very small amount of flocculent sediment is also noticeable. The aroma is quite floral and fruity, as you'd expect of a beer brewed with rosehips and hibiscus. Raspberry comes to mind, as does lemon, along with just a hint of grainy, wheaty malts.
Certainly one of the more approachable sours I've had, with its lemony, lactic sourness integrating together quite nicely with its flavours of raspberry juice, hibiscus and rosehip tea, all supported by a lightly grainy wheat malt backbone. That's the status quo through to the finish, where the berry finally starts to fade, but the floral, lightly herbal accents linger on the taste buds just a smidge longer before eventually drying the palate off. Light in body, with moderate carbonation levels that provide a bit of a bite to its otherwise smooth, kind of watery texture. Highly refreshing, almost like drinking a (carbonated) raspberry herbal iced tea.
Final Grade: 4.04, an A-. Side Launch's Hibiscus Sour is not exactly complex, but as a low abv, fruity summer refresher it really has no need to be. I'd also say that it's less sour than their Dry Hopped Sour, which may or may not be a plus for you - I'd be happy with either one, really, though I suppose the hotter it is outside, the more I'd start to lean in this beer's direction. Worth a try before all the decent patio weather of 2019 is gone and done with - I know I'll be picking up a few more cans in the near future.
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)
4.06/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From notes made up north
Appearance: Two fingers of head that disappeared fast but laced while present. Body is a cloudy and slightly orange tinged red.
Smell: Raspberries, flowers and hints of banana and pineapple. Very fruity with good potency.
Taste: Juicy, starts with sour raspberry with a minimally roasted malt background that turns to lemon, more berries and a floral hint. Plenty of potency, almost too much.
Mouthfeel: A bit too sour of a punch at the end, as it does encourage a bit of puckering. Carbonation helps out the entire beer, transitioning is decent, has a berry and floral aftertaste.
Drinkability: On the lighter end of medium body, the sour potency is so strong it hampers it slightly and reigning just a small touch would be desired. Apart from that no complaints, and all around great and juicy summer sour.
Sep 04, 2019Appearance: Two fingers of head that disappeared fast but laced while present. Body is a cloudy and slightly orange tinged red.
Smell: Raspberries, flowers and hints of banana and pineapple. Very fruity with good potency.
Taste: Juicy, starts with sour raspberry with a minimally roasted malt background that turns to lemon, more berries and a floral hint. Plenty of potency, almost too much.
Mouthfeel: A bit too sour of a punch at the end, as it does encourage a bit of puckering. Carbonation helps out the entire beer, transitioning is decent, has a berry and floral aftertaste.
Drinkability: On the lighter end of medium body, the sour potency is so strong it hampers it slightly and reigning just a small touch would be desired. Apart from that no complaints, and all around great and juicy summer sour.
Reviewed by MichaelGennings from Canada (ON)
4.51/5 rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Hibiscus Sour from Side Launch Brewery in Collingwood, Ontario.
4.2% alc.
This beer pours a medium white head that dissipates very fast.
The beer is a pinkish orange colour.
The aroma is indiscernible floral notes with a hint of raspberry. This transfers to the taste. The flavour is moderate and tart but not truly sour.
This has a prickly mouthfeel. The beer is light bodied with a dry finish.
Really a refreshing beer for a hot day.
Grade: A
Jul 13, 20194.2% alc.
This beer pours a medium white head that dissipates very fast.
The beer is a pinkish orange colour.
The aroma is indiscernible floral notes with a hint of raspberry. This transfers to the taste. The flavour is moderate and tart but not truly sour.
This has a prickly mouthfeel. The beer is light bodied with a dry finish.
Really a refreshing beer for a hot day.
Grade: A
Rated by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
decently malted down hibiscus. sour but well malted down.
Jun 28, 2019
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