Blackberry Vanilla Sour
Cowbell Brewing Co.
- From:
- Cowbell Brewing Co.
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Fruited Sour Ale
- ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- +9 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.06 | pDev: 0%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 17, 2025
- Added:
- Jul 08, 2025
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Savour the season with this creamy, vibrant sour ale, inspired by luscious blackberry custard. Bursting with ripe blackberry flavour, natural vanilla and a touch of lactose, this colourful brew balances light tartness with a silky sweetness. A true summertime delight - cheers!
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
4.06/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.06/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
473 mL can from the LCBO, included in Cowbell's 2025 Summer Mixer; dated Mar 25 2025 and served slightly chilled. This is my 50th Cowbell review - cheers to 50 more!
Pours a foggy pinkish-amber colour; illuminating the glass reveals its brilliant orange hues, as well as the fact that it's packed to the gills with flaky sediment. One finger of frothy, pale pink-tinged head fades away within two minutes, rapidly reduced to a thin collar and a few wisps on the surface. Vanilla and blackberry on the nose, with hints of raspberry ice cream and lemon yogurt. Simple, but the blackberry pops nicely, and comes off as authentic.
Really tasty stuff, with all of its flavours harmonizing nicely. The blackberry is most prominent, making for a juicy-sweet forefront that cedes ground to vanilla, wheat, milk sugar & mixed berries by mid-sip. Real blackberry fruit on the back end - juicy, sweet and moderately tart, with lemon and lactic acidity fading into an aftertaste of blackberry yogurt that eventually dries off. Light in body, with average carbonation that gently agitates the tongue; smooth, juicy mouthfeel with fantastic drinkability.
Final Grade: 4.06, an A-. I've had a couple of blackberry vanilla sours over the past year or so, and frankly, I wasn't that impressed - which was extra disappointing, because there's no reason those flavours *shouldn't* pair well together. Cowbell's Blackberry Vanilla Sour, on the other hand, does most everything correctly, making for a comparatively delightful brew. There aren't all that many fruited kettle sours that I drink on a regular basis: I typically just review them and move on - but if this makes its way back to LCBO shelves as a single, I will keep buying it all summer. I sincerely urge other blackberry-loving BAs to try this brew for themselves.
Jul 17, 2025Pours a foggy pinkish-amber colour; illuminating the glass reveals its brilliant orange hues, as well as the fact that it's packed to the gills with flaky sediment. One finger of frothy, pale pink-tinged head fades away within two minutes, rapidly reduced to a thin collar and a few wisps on the surface. Vanilla and blackberry on the nose, with hints of raspberry ice cream and lemon yogurt. Simple, but the blackberry pops nicely, and comes off as authentic.
Really tasty stuff, with all of its flavours harmonizing nicely. The blackberry is most prominent, making for a juicy-sweet forefront that cedes ground to vanilla, wheat, milk sugar & mixed berries by mid-sip. Real blackberry fruit on the back end - juicy, sweet and moderately tart, with lemon and lactic acidity fading into an aftertaste of blackberry yogurt that eventually dries off. Light in body, with average carbonation that gently agitates the tongue; smooth, juicy mouthfeel with fantastic drinkability.
Final Grade: 4.06, an A-. I've had a couple of blackberry vanilla sours over the past year or so, and frankly, I wasn't that impressed - which was extra disappointing, because there's no reason those flavours *shouldn't* pair well together. Cowbell's Blackberry Vanilla Sour, on the other hand, does most everything correctly, making for a comparatively delightful brew. There aren't all that many fruited kettle sours that I drink on a regular basis: I typically just review them and move on - but if this makes its way back to LCBO shelves as a single, I will keep buying it all summer. I sincerely urge other blackberry-loving BAs to try this brew for themselves.
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