Sugar Baby
Southern Grist Brewing Co.

Sugar BabySugar Baby
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From:
Southern Grist Brewing Co.
 
Tennessee, United States
Style:
Gose
Ranked #64
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,283
Avg:
3.97 | pDev: 6.05%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
19
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 14, 2023
Added:
Jul 07, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Using a literal ton of locally sourced Sugar Baby watermelons, known for their sweetness, and black Hawaiian lava salt, expect a sweet and tart balanced summer beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Sugar Baby pours a pale, clean, yellow color, with not much head. The aroma is watermelon notes but also some offensive B/O. The flavor is mellow but very refreshing, sweet watermelon notes. A slightly flat feel. Overall, its refreshing, light, and tasty, sweeter with those watermelon notes.
Oct 14, 2023
 
Rated: 3.94 by smithj4 from New York

Aug 24, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by BarrelAgedG from California

Oct 07, 2022
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.77/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Who though that the character of watermelon could be so overbearing? Applying the flavors of sugar baby melons on a traditional Gose base beer shows such dominance as its turns this mild mannered Northern German sour ale into a full blown fruit beer.

As Sugar Baby settles in the glass, a finely silted haze is held within a golden chrome color. With a froth of part fizz and part foam pull from the ale, the scent of watermelon is front and center. Perfumy and sweet to the nose, the ale also shows hints of fresh dough, brisk sea air and citrusy nuances. Sweet early and often, the early palate picks up on sourdough, fructose and taffy with the very first sip.

The high flavor of watermelon chases the flavors straight across the middle palate, equipped with the fruit sweetness of the red melon and its synonymous basil, mint and juicy character. With the undercurrent of wheat, tartness and salinity, there's a slim set of complexities that aid the melon additions but in the end the beer finishes with a full and rounded watermelon flavor.

Medium bodied and certainly fuller for sour ale, Sugar Baby doesn't allow the Gose to have much of a say at all. This beer is all about the sugar baby watermelons from sniff to finish.
Aug 09, 2022
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Got in an IP trade with hoptheology. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on my 34th birthday, 7/9/21. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy golden amber/light pink/orange color with a 2-3 finger foamy and fluffy off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing and a large amount of streaming carbonation on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big juicy watermelons, cucumber, lemon, lime, fruit seed, pear, red apple, coriander, sea salt, wheat, white bread, herbal, floral, grass, peppercorn, yeast earthiness, and light lacto funk. Light-moderate fruity tartness, herbal bitterness, and coriander spiciness on the finish. High carbonation, light-medium body, and crisp/clean/refreshing finish. Balanced grainy wheat, sticky spice, some salinity, fruit tang, and light lactic acidity. Perfectly dry finish from carbonation, with no puckering/astringent flavors. Minimal warming 5.8%. This was a lot lighter than expected on the lactic acid and a lot stronger on the authentic watermelon flavors with that meaty cucumber thing going on, but it turns out to be an amazingly balanced beer. Not overwhelming on any aspect. Probably overcarbed from the age and sitting on the shelf for a bit, but its super tasty anyways. Awesome style example.
Jan 27, 2022
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.91/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can, dated 7/9/21, into wide mouthed glass.

Hazy golden-blonde, looking like some caramel malt was used here though probably not. Fuzzy white head of 2 fingers, receding to 1/2, leaving no lace or spots on the sides.

Aroma is sort of seltzer-y, with hints of washed out watermelon candy, some bready pale malt, and hints of table sugar. Not incredibly strong, but what's there is a good representation of the beer's aim.

Flavor is salty and rindy at the beginning, like putting salt on the last part of a watermelon before you hit the rind. Then some pale malt pokes up and gives a gentle bready stab, with hints of sweet pickle juice following. It is a hint more sour than I'd prefer, just a tiny hint. But it's more briney and rind-y than anything.

Feel is crisp and starchy. Works for a Gose. No heat. High carbonation. The beer remains buzzing on your palate after the swallow.

Overall, I'll just be honest and say I've had better Watermelon Goses. I don't doubt they used a literal ton of watermelons, it's just that watermelon is a hard fruit to capture in a beer. They still make it stick, but it's in a salty-rindy way. Not at all sweet or fruity. It's definitely a traditional Gose, just with a little extra something. Tasty though.

$15 / 4 pack / southerngrist.com
Sep 11, 2021
 
Rated: 3.49 by entenduintransit from Tennessee

Jul 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.77 by Jinx989 from Illinois

Jan 06, 2020
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.94/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Foggy pale yellow with a foamy white head settling to a fuzzy film.

Taste is salty cracker with sour nondescript melon that's not quite watermelon but nice. The medium-full body is tingly and crisp and has a refreshing citrus candy finish.
Aug 20, 2019
Photo of AmeriCanadian
Reviewed by AmeriCanadian from Tennessee

4.09/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thin, light, effervescent, and refreshing. Tart and citrusy, with a strong (but not overdone) and wonderful salinity. Sweet but subtle watermelon personality on the nose and tongue. I'm not a big fan of watermelon drinks, in general, but this (like Founders Green Zebra) puts the melon to use in a really wonderful way. Well done.
Aug 10, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Eziel from Ohio

Jan 11, 2019
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

4.01/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Big thanks to imyourhero21 for sending this one as part of the 2018 British Open BIF box! Reviewed from notes. Poured from the 16 oz. can into an Invasion of the Funk tulip glass.

A: This can gushed a bit upon opening, but I only lost an ounce or so I’d guess. A darker gold than expected for style, but still has the standard haziness for a gose. Tons of visible carbonation, and forms a big two-finger active bubbling white head though it fades quickly.

S: Lactobacillus funk and lactic acid tartness. Lemons and citric acid, cracker malts, and a light briny salted watermelon rind. Smells more funky and less tart than a lot of goses…but I’m digging this.

T: Funky and tart and salty. Then both a bright fresh watermelon and a touch of Jolly Ranchers. Briny, salty, tart and fruity. Cracker malts, lactic and lemony citric tart. Funky – some basement and a little horse blanket, and some feet and cheese. More tart and watermelon and dry funk in the hang.

M: A light body, but plenty substantial for style. Good carbonation sensation and low alcohol presence.

O: Watermelon is certainly not my favorite fruit, nor is it always one of my favorite addition to a beer. But I think this has enough tart and funk to make it work for me. I wouldn’t go crazy for another one, but this was plenty enjoyable enough, and I wouldn't turn down another pour one day.
Nov 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by SDRedDevil from California

Sep 13, 2018
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thanks goes out to Buck89 for this brew.

16 oz. Can
Canned On: 07/27/18

Can was damaged, a gusher.

Poured into a Trilium glass a pretty nice peach color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy/quick/fizzy one-finger plus off-white head, which also leaves some minimal sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, tart, with a pretty nice watermelon note, coriander. The taste is pretty nice, malty, yeasty, with a pretty nice watermelon, some coriander, tart. Medium body, ABV hidden very well. Overall, a pretty tasty nice brew. Thanks John!
Sep 02, 2018
Photo of Buck89
Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can. A slightly hazy bright golden color with a medium-sized white head that slowly settled. The aroma is subdued, but a close inspection reveals fresh watermelon and a very subtle floral spiciness. The first thing that I picked up on the taste was the salt - not overdone - but enough to perfectly balance the slight tartness. The watermelon was there, but it did not overshadow the lemony tartness, the dry wheat, or the salt. Very well-balanced. Currently my favorite watermelon beer.
Aug 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by vitamin_g from Tennessee

Jul 30, 2018
Photo of Tommo
Reviewed by Tommo from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is a tasty little gose, but really falls short for southern grist. Watermelon is present, but doesnt really pop. I know watermelon is hard to work with to get a big burst, but i was hoping for more
Jul 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Jul 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.31 by Zazzi82 from Tennessee

Jul 07, 2016
Sugar Baby from Southern Grist Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 19 ratings