Saskatoon Berry Sour
Untitled Art

Served from the can in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Pours a downright murky garnet-ruby (actually reminds me of the wolfberry juice my Essential Oils-slinging roommate got back in college, the stuff that tasted pretty rad, went down very quickly, and apparently cost somewhere around fifteen bucks for what amounted to a fancy Capri Sun) topped by a tonsure of rust-laden sand foam. The nose comprises blue raspberry candy, apple cider, and what may or may not be some of Tommy James' sweet cherry. The taste generally brings in more of the same, with some blackberry juice for good measure, everything coalescing into an overall sweet-tart situation. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly sticky finish. As my introduction to saskatoon berries, this was rather pleasant, making me want to track this fruit from the mysterious Canadas.

If blueberry and apple got together and had a baby, it would be a beer. It's that lovechild that Untitled Art brewers use as inspiration for their saskatoon berry infused Berlinerweiss to win over the palate.

Truly smoothie-like Saskatoon Berry Sour pours purple with a hazy blend of mauve, ruby, garnet and violet. Dense in its fruit-filled pour, the beer's initial froth gives rise to a host of dark, savory and sweet berries that range from blueberry to blackberry with a backdrop of cider, wine and cream. As its creamy sweetness coats the tongue, early impressions of taffy, cereal and cream set a malty tone.

The nearly reckless amount of the unique berry is showcases remarkably well as the taste of blueberry is greeted with complementary flavors of raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, red grape and rhubarb. Tangy though robust, the juicy flavors of the saskatoon lays directly on the souring base taste of crabapple, lime, lemon, gooseberry, passionfruit and red wine. Trending peppery with berry skins, the spicy sourness has the beer trending in a crisp, refreshing, but cobbler-like direction.

Full bodied for sour ale, the Berlinerweiss style is no stranger to fruit syrup additions, this version is extremely fruity in comparison, having the palate to read the session as much of a smoothie as it does of ale. A medium length afterglow of dark berries come with the brisk acidity of vinous woods, sourdough and burlap.