Bubble Tub
Whiner Beer Company

i like this a lot, its understated, the melon is real, there is no attempt to make it desserty or overly new school with lactose and vanilla and all that junk, furthermore its still fermented with saison yeast, so its not just a kettle sour but a multi yeast thing, really more french and belgian than anything else, also somewhat mild overall, not super acidic or estery, but the right mix of both for this to have cool nuance. the pour is straw colored and just a little frosted looking with an average white head from the tap that gets airy and more pocketed but keeps its height as the beer sits. the watermelon part is cool, its got some rind freshness and bitterness, honeydew and aloe character to me, makes it quenching, and the sweetness of the flesh is largely fermented out, so its not sweet in the least, allowing some wheat malt to poke through. the taste is natural but its saison first and fruit second, less fruit than the blueberry one to me, which i really dig in this context actually. i think with some bretty funk this would be epic, but i like their ambitious with a beer like this, less can be more and it is here. nice minerals approaching metallic when it warms, and an herbal layer behind the watermelon, refreshing and drinkable overall, unique too. fun summer saison!

 

 

Tasted in a tall goblet from draft at Light The Lamp Brewing on May 16, 2021.

 

 

12 ounce can into tulip glass, no can dating. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy watermelon, cucumber, fruit skin/seed, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with great balance and complexity of watermelon, fruity/acidic/spicy yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with bit strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy watermelon, cucumber, fruit skin/seed, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast spiciness, and fruit/lacto tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy watermelon, cucumber, fruit skin/seed, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, peppercorn, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of watermelon, fruity/acidic/spicy yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness and tangy fruit balance; with no pucker/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness, tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth and moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.6%. Overall this is a delicious fruited sour saison. All around nice omplexity, robustness, and balance of watermelon, fruity/acidic/spicy yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, refreshing, and fairly crisp/clean to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/drying finish. Nicely soft and mellowly lactic. Flavorful and not watery for the ABV. Great balance of authentic juicy/vibrant Watermelon and Lacto/Saison yeast complexity; with a nice pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity for the ABV. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.

Two years ago I was wildly enthusiastic about Whiner as the Chicago Southside Belgian specialist who could match the City's northside Belgian specialists (Off Color) to start a healthy competition of a Subway World Series of Saisons. But after two months or so, I went cool on Whiner because they started making really sour saisons. With Bubble Tub (and the help of sweet watermelon), it seems they made the process less sour, whether done in a kettle or a barrel. Call Bubble Tub "nicely tart." Tart is better for my palate. And this is a wonderfully refreshing saison.

Since they often lack foam, kettle sours rarely match classic saisons for Looks. And since the sour's yeast does not produce fruit like the classic saison, Smells are average attractive and the watermelon does not make the sour sweeter. But the key here is the Tub's Tastes are merely tart and not sour. And to be refreshed in a modestly puckering way is good by me.

Whiner is part of a growing family of food purveyors in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood... not an easy task to convert the largest slaughter yards in the History-of-the-World into a 21st Century culinary center. But to help them, I'm glad I had Bubble Tub and it reminded me to have my Whiner favorite again, Rubriq-a Brac, which is a very good food for beer.

7/11/20 Carried from the curb at Beermiscuous, I had Bubble Tub again as refreshment and without food.... so it still has yet to meet my saison test. However I edited my review and re-rated slightly upwards the Smell. Satisfied, I'm keeping count over at UnTappd.

 

 

 

 

 

Watermelon comes through in the flavor.