Thembot
Good Robot Brewing Co.

Cloudy light gold with a persistent, smallish even head. Fruity blackberry nose. Light tart body with an even flavour split between tarter blackberry and luscious guava. Nicely crisp and balanced for patio sipping.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Mar 1 2023 and served slightly chilled.

Pours effervescent, clear and golden-yellow, crowned with one finger of creamy white head that sustains itself for quite some time. Even after ten minutes or so, a tight cap and frothy collar live on; generous lace deposition - looks fantastic, in spite of the chunky deposits that come from the dregs of the can. Quite juicy and sugary on the nose, with guava being the most prominent aspect; there are also notes of blackberry, sweet apples and raspberry yogurt.

A pretty decent fruited sour, showing good balance between sweet and sour flavours. I'm getting blackberry jam at first, with suggestions of strawberry giving way to big, juicy guava flavours by mid-sip. Moderate lactic acidity on the back end - lemon yogurt, with a touch of funk & blackberry seed bitterness lasting briefly into a mildly acidic aftertaste. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation that adds a crisp bite to this brew's silky-smooth mouthfeel.

Final Grade: 3.94, a B+. Thembot is better than your average Ontario-made fruited sour: I especially appreciate the blackberry being paired with something other than raspberry (which is a little overused these days IMO). The guava adds a juicy, tropical fruity dimension to the profile, which pairs well with the jammy blackberry notes. I am not familiar with Good Robot, but after this glass I must say they've made a damn good first impression, and in the future I'd love to see more of their stuff here in Ontario.