Heist
Folly Brewpub

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; no packaging date. Served barely chilled.

Pours cloudy lemon drop yellow, generating one finger of soapy, bubbly white head that recedes within a minute or two. A thin, frothy collar remains, with a modest band of lace having been imprinted onto the glass; looks fine to me. The nose is fruity and not too sharp, with notes of lemon, white grapefruit and peach coming through clearly, joined by suggestions of orchard fruit, orange peel and some sort of tropical (passion?) fruit.

Rather approachable as far as sours go, boasting a pleasant melange of fruity hop flavours which integrate nicely with the very mild lactic acidity. Citrusy aspects of lemon, grapefruit and orange peel play major roles, with hints of passion fruit, melon, peach and lime. Very subtle hint of pine resin bitterness at the finish, with more fruitiness and a touch of lemon yogurt lingering briefly into the aftertaste. Light in body, with average carbonation levels that provide a bit of a bit to this sour's generally smooth mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable, and this is coming from a guy that virtually never drinks sour ales one after another.

Final Grade: 3.91, a solid B+. Folly's Heist is a skilful crossbreed of an American pale ale and a sour, though that's not necessarily a 50:50 even split. I'd put it closer to 3/4 pale ale and 1/4 sour: indeed, if you're expecting something particularly tart or even puckering, you'll need to look elsewhere because this beer's profile mostly revolves around the fruity hop flavours. It'd make for a serviceable, every day session sour IMO, and I'm sure I'll return to it again at some point when I encounter a fresh (hopefully dated) batch in the future.

Review from notes. 473 ml can served cold into a pint glass.

Appearance - Mildly hazy, rich golden color, a finger and a half of somewhat short lived white head. Plenty of carbonation within.

Smell - Citrus fruits (namely lemon and orange), hints of wheat, a subtle bit of stone fruit in behind with peach and pear making an appearance.

Taste - Pretty close to the nose, obviously with a more sour and tart aspect to the citrus and stone fruit combo. Lemon and pear are the most distinguishable flavors.

Mouthfeel - Medium light bodied, pretty easy drink and nice feel for a sour.

Overall - Not spectacular but pretty solid. It's sour but more of gateway sour with some familiar flavors and smells shining through. Worth a try and would enjoy again.