Sour Rhubarb
Like Minds Brewing Company

 

375ml bottle, label reads Sour Saison Aged in Red Wine Barrels on Rhubarb, poured into a J. Wakefield snifter glass. Enjoyed on 11.10.16, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a copper color, light amber hues, hazy with a few bubbles of off-white head, that has poor retention, takes a lot of swirling to get any activity with a spot or two of soapy lace. The aroma offers a lot of tart rhubarb, earthy and funky, strong oak and red wine acidity with a touch of caramel malt, light stone fruits, both dark and light linger well, very pleasant aroma. The flavors are right in line with the nose, tart stone fruits spanning the spectrum from cherry to peach, lots of rhubarb, lemon zest, oak and red wine character develops well bringing out a nice funkiness, with some maltiness and even a bit of peppercorn, to remind you the base is a saison, linger well and offer a lot of depth. Sadly, this beer is undercarbed and the mouthfeel suffers greatly, very thin, light, very flat that struggles to coat and finishes with a touch of dryness and a nice tart pucker.

Verdict: A beer with a lot of potential, nice rhubarb character and the wine barrel presents very well, but sadly, the lack of carbonation is a real bummer. The beer just lacks that body and texture and brightness, without the carbonation it feels heavy and burdensome. Give this beer proper carbonation and a nice body and it's a real winner. Sadly, as it is, it's a decent beer, but very forgettable.