Wanderlost
Side Launch Brewing Company

 

 

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for around $4.50 CDN. Canned December 15, 2022. Listed as an imperial dark fruit sour, I'm not sure 6.5% ABV gets to imperial levels of strength.

Appearance - clear, pinkish peach colored brew with good clarity, few bubbles and capped with a finger of loose and quick receding white head.

Smell - cranberries and currants are most prominent with a few other berries mixed in. Nose it pretty muted and has a juiciness to it.

Taste - Sour with plenty of berry tartness. Cranberries and currants mostly with a hint of raspberries and other berries. Some lemon is muddled it but in retrospect helps tie everything together nicely.

Mouthfeel - Medium light bodied and with light but expressive carbonation. Drinks lighter an easier than most 6.5% ABV sours do.

Overall - Kind of like a wine spritzer of beers as far as strong sours go. Weird way to describe it, but pretty light, good flavors and easy enough to drink. Worth a tipple although unlikely to go back for more.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Sep 9 2022 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a clear rose-orange colour with countless fine specks of sediment barely marring its complexion; situated atop is one finger of smooth, foamy, off white-coloured head that sizzles off within a couple minutes' time. A sickly-thin collar is the only remnant, save for a few wisps on the surface. It smells mostly of blackcurrants and berry yogurt, with very subtle hints of black cherry. Sweet like a confiture, but the lacto-acidity is also evident.

A very approachable kettle sour: hints of sweet black cherry, lemon yogurt, bready wheat and blackberry tartness at the forefront, with blackcurrant coming through on the back end. Tart finish and aftertaste, with briefly lingering suggestions of lemon/berry yogurt and lactic acidity; nothing funky, but there's a tannic quality. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation that adds some bite to this brew's otherwise smooth, slick mouthfeel. Good drinkability, with no sign whatsoever of the 6.5%.

Final Grade: 3.79, a reasonable B+. Side Launch's Wanderlost gets a thumbs up from this reviewer, but I can't help but feel there's significant room for improvement. The currant flavours shine through nicely, but adding some more cherry, or perhaps some plum/prune might help this 'dark fruit' sour out. I still enjoyed my glass well enough, and certainly wouldn't discourage curious BAs from giving it a shot.

Can. Label says "imperial dark fruit sour". Aroma of berries, not necessarily dark fruit though. Poured into a glass looks like see through dark pinkish color with orange undertones. Taste is sour, more cranberry / raspberry than "dark fruit". Regardless of the misnomer it is a good beer, I liked it. 6.5% alcohol really well hidden. Would consider buying again, good solid sour.