Amplitude: Blackberry Lime Vanilla
Bobcaygeon Brewing Company

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. My ninth beer from the Peterborough, Ontario brewery, and second for 2025.

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

Pours a clear golden colour, fitted with nearly two fingers of puffy, foamy white head that dissipates within three minutes or so. A half-inch band of lace clings to the glass, with a creamy collar and filmy cap remaining on the surface. Blackberry candy and subtle vanilla on the nose; the lime is not so readily identifiable, but it does have citrusy undertones, as well as a hint of yogurt. Smells more sweet than sour, and doesn't come off as particularly authentic.

A tolerable entry-level sour - the acidity is toned down compared to the other Amplitude variants that I've tried. Blackberry candy at the forefront, with understated lime and vanilla developing by mid-sip. Blackberry syrup, lactic funk, citrus zest and yogurt on the back end, with blackberry fading into a sweet aftertaste; the artificiality of the blackberry flavouring is problematic. Light-medium in body, with relatively low carbonation and a smooth, somewhat silky mouthfeel that might be the highlight of this sour. Drinking one glass is easy enough, but I'll pass on a refill.

Final Grade: 3.44, a B-. Bobcaygeon's Amplitude Blackberry Lime Vanilla isn't all that bad, but it's not a brew that I plan to revisit any time soon. That's a shame, because I generally like blackberry beers, but this one suffers from a number of minor issues that ultimately bring down the experience. The blackberry comes off as fake, the lime flavours are very weak, and I don't think the vanilla adds much - if anything, it detracts from the sourness, making for an overly sweet, artificial-tasting sour that left me feeling underwhelmed. Worth a shot if it piques your interest, but don't expect miracles.