Peterson Amber
Hermit Thrush Brewery

 

 

This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a dark red color with a quickly dissipating white foamy head. No lacing. The smell takes on tart granny Smith apples riding into a sour sticky caramel malt. Light dry nutty and grassiness comes together. The flavor brings in the sour with the malt. So there’s a nice blend between the sour and the sweet. Light tartness. Semi-sweet to sour apple aftertaste leading into the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sipping to sessionable feel to it. Sly carbonation. Slick saltiness making a good effort to stick to my tongue. Overall, it’s one of those balanced maltier sour/wild ales. I don’t mind it.

Clear, tawny appearance with a bit of viscosity to it, minimal head, no lacing. As for aroma, leather, dry vermouth, caramel, lemon, slight bit of alcohol. Flavor has a profile more akin to a good sour cider than anything else - sour apples are forward, then some oak, a bit of yeastiness/raw dough near the finish, and enough hops to balance things out. Small carbonation, but it cuts through and refreshes. Always try to pick this up when available - think this one of their best.

 

 

 

Hermit Thrush Brewery "Peterson Amber"
Pint can, no production code or freshness dating
$7.49 @ Beverage Warehouse, Winooski, VT

Appearance: Mainly clear, almost russet brown body beneath a short lived head of bubbly tan. As might be expected of a sour beer that has limited head retention, the lacing is no better and basically doesn't exist.

Aroma: Vinous, tartness/tart fruit, caramelish malt, dried leaves, wood, wet raw leather, and a mild hint of earthiness. Really rather clean for a sour beer.

Flavor: More caramelish and malty than expected, with tart and dark fruit (red grape, sharp apple, raisin, plum, pear). It's tart and fruity and then a little sweet with caramel, back to tart with a darker fruit, and then dry with oak in the finish. Acidic, fruity, malty, and tannic... not really funky at all though, which is interesting. As a sour beer it's very clean, and I wonder am I yearning for some funk? Or have past experiences suggested that there should be some there and I'm thinking it's missing something? I'll have to put all of that aside and just go with what's in the glass in front of me.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light in body with a gentle caress of the tongue due to a mild, fine-bubbled carbonation.

Overall: Interesting. Tart and somewhat wine-like, yet malty and caramelish, with a back and forth tart-sweet complexity.