Wintertrip
Braxton Brewing Company - Braxton Covington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the cold days of fall and winter creep onto us, the yearning for something tropical, beachy, lighter and sunnier beckons. Where many brewers concoct a heavy, high octain, malty and boozy beer to contend with the cold, Braxton Brewing Company takes the senses to a tropical vacation instead with a pineapple sour ale that's fitting for any lawn chair and flip flop vacation.

Hazy and golden straw, the glowing Wintertrip berlinerweiss pours with a foamy, airy froth and a host of tropical fruit aromas along with the cidery, winey and faintly musty perfume that's common among the northern German sour wheat ale. Mild sweetness greets the tongue with hints of sourdough, taffy and mild cereal confectioner's taste.

As the ale quickly washes the middle palate, the sweetness weakens its grip and the malt contingency quickly turns over to fruitier tones that lead the the overt pineapple succulence. But the underling fruit flavors of green apple lead to a strong cidery taste and a full complement of gooseberry, white grape, lime, lemon and grapefruit secondary flavors. Trending wine-like and spicy with a hint of burlap, the late palate is pleasantly sour with a brisk taste of sangria and margarita.

Medium bodied for sour ale but fairly dry compared to most ale, the premiere sourness and dryness of authentic versions is much lesser here. But its remnants of malt help to give the pineapple additions identity and likeness. More than tart but not mouth puckering sour, the beer's tropical succulence gives it a seductive sense that nearly woos the senses into not caring about its simplicity.