Sunk Costs
Central State Brewing

When life gives you lemons, they say to make lemonade. But if life gives brewers lemons, they're best off to make sour beer! With a copious amount of raspberry to boot, the Central State brewers salvage a beer from the sunken cost of beer making and come out the other end smelling like roses. ...er, berries.

Sunk Costs pours a dark mauve with a burnish brown hue. Dense looking, like raspberry puree, the ale's billowing off white froth hosts a bold raspberry scent with the tartness of red wine and a peppercorn tinge to sour the nose and to offer a brisk, earthy scent of the sea. Sweet berries and candied malts leaves a jolly rancher taste on the front of the tongue.

As the ale unfolds on the middle palate, the sweetness turns to sour and the brisk taste becomes even more so. Tangy red wine, oak, pepper and a host of souring agents come out to play. Lemon, lime, crabapple, gooseberry, red grape and redcurrant all mingle for a sharp sourness that's of off cider, cranberry and pomegranate. Mild bitterness closes the session as citrus and pepper offset the slim sweetness that lingers.

Medium light and drying wonderfully, the beer's body and creaminess is redolent with flemish red ale. Raspberries linger on the finish with their tangy, bright and robust tartness while a short aftertaste of red wine and peppery oak persists.

Tasted in a 10 oz snifter from draught at Firkin on December 2, 2016.