Ruby Bramble
Oaklyn Springs Brewery

500ml bottle poured into a Treehouse Teku glass.
I've had this beer before but not in the last few years and I'm looking forward to it.

Appearance: This beer pours a zinfandel hued, burnt orange/red into the glass with minimal carbonation and no real head. Sort of surprising for the style, but nothing I haven't come across before. Impressive color from the raspberries and I'm assuming some from the rioja puncheons. Hefty swirl does nothing. Maybe a whisper of legs and no real head or lacing to speak of. Second pour was intentionally more aggressive. The 1/8th to 1/16th inch head pulled a disappearing act before I could even see it enough to comment on its characteristics.

Aroma: Crisp, lambic bite. For some reason I was slightly apprehensive that this was going to have an acetic acid aroma [no idea where I got that], but it's quite pleasant. Sour cultures up front but not overpowering, oak tannins, no real fruit character. If I had my eyes closed I probably wouldn't have guessed that this was a fruited sour. Obviously with my eyes open it's unmistakable. Lots of color from the berries. No berry aroma whatsoever. Could it be that all of that sugar was fermented out?

Taste: Delicate. Nuanced. Light salivary gland response. Refined. A hint of acid on the back end. No real berry character. Light, very light notes from the puncheon. Fun attack at the jowls. Well, maybe a jab at the jowls. Perhaps a hint of a lactic acid presence, but it's very muted. Would probably be more prominent with aging.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, on the light end of the body. Not too acidic. Tart? Maybe slightly more than tart. Smooth, easy drinking. Goes down like it wants to not be savored.

Overall: There isn't much to say about this one, actually. I like it. I've had it before and I'll have it again. The berry character is almost non-existent. The sour cultures and the wood come through more pronounced. It's relatively light and easy drinking. It's crisp and refreshing. I always enjoy this one, but it's not world-class. Would buy it again in a heartbeat if it were available [unless I had to choose between this and a blueberry sour] and would be happy to do so. Couldn't drink more than one in a session. There isn't really anything that I dislike, it just doesn't hit the high marks for what I want out of the style.

Poured from a 500 ml champagne-type bottle bought at the taproom in Apex, NC.

Clear beer with an interesting golden-pink color. No head or lace, which is not unusual for a barrel aged sour like this. Nose is an appetizing mix of light barnyard and raspberry. Strong sourness at the back of the throat, with flavors of lemon juice, raspberries and low horseblanket. Thin body, light carbonation and non-detectable hops bitterness are all appropriate for the style. Some alcohol warmth that stands up well to the strong palettes of sourness and flavors.

This is an assertively sour beer that still shows nice fruit character. The barrel aging is not evident, but this is an impressively well-made beer.