Pomegranate Honeysuckle
Cowbell Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Tallboy from the LCBO; dated Apr 6 2020 and served barely chilled.

Pours clear, boasting a deep purplish red-coloured body akin to a blood orange. Nearly one finger of foamy, pink-tinged gathers atop before receding within the next minute or so, leaving behind a thin collar; no lacing, but that attractive colour goes a long way visually. It smells of blackberries, pomegranate and sour yogurt, with just a hint of something like grape jelly or blackcurrant mixed in there, too. There are floral/nectar-like notes as well, but they're most noticeable when I sniff from the can itself.

It starts off sour, with the lactic acidity and pomegranate giving it a tart nip right off the bat; flavours of blackberry and currant join in by mid-sip, adding a juicy-sweet element to the mix. That's the status quo until the finish, where a hint of floral bitterness and a weak tannin-like astringency briefly come through before a tart aftertaste of pomegranate and lemon. Medium-light in body, with average carbonation levels that gently brush against tongue; feels smooth, but it seems a bit flabby for 4%. Good drinkability, but only moderately refreshing - I suppose serving it colder might help here.

Final Grade: 3.94, a B+. If you're looking for something that's fruity and tart to sip this summer, then Cowbell's Pomegranate Honeysuckle is worth taking a flyer on - it's a light beer, but that doesn't mean it's light on flavour. The pomegranate's inherent and unique combo of sweetness, juiciness and tartness seems like a natural complement for a kettle sour beer, and I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen pomegranate sours more often. I don't tend to drink sour beers en masse - fruit beers either, for that matter - but I can still appreciate and recommend the good ones. I wouldn't say that it's a must-try or anything like that, but if you're curious then don't hesitate to pull the trigger.