-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
R&D Sour Ale
New Glarus Brewing Company
- From:
- New Glarus Brewing Company
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- Wild Ale
- ABV:
- 5.4%
- Score:
- 95
- Avg:
- 4.3 | pDev: 9.53%
- Reviews:
- 41
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 02, 2018
- Added:
- Aug 11, 2012
- Wants:
- 157
- Gots:
- 30
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by crossovert:
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois
4.37/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
500ml bottle.
Opens with a hiss and some carbonation jumps up towards the cap. A nice sour pucker is release in the smell. The beer is a hazy peach and has a fizzy head that quickly dissipates.
The smell is quite nice. It is initially pretty sour but after a few whiffs more scents come out. Cherries, vinegar, oak, grapes, some malt sweetness, and a very nice but not over the top but of cheesy funk.
The flavor is also great. Medium sourness that doesn't linger. Instead oak and vanilla dominate the finish. Up front it is acidic and sour with vinegar, sour apples, and lemons. Mid palate is malty and fruity. The funk isn't as prevalent in the flavor. It is mostly just a well-balance sour. The mouthfeel is pretty carbonated and it ends up pretty dry.
New Glarus strikes again.
Aug 12, 2012Opens with a hiss and some carbonation jumps up towards the cap. A nice sour pucker is release in the smell. The beer is a hazy peach and has a fizzy head that quickly dissipates.
The smell is quite nice. It is initially pretty sour but after a few whiffs more scents come out. Cherries, vinegar, oak, grapes, some malt sweetness, and a very nice but not over the top but of cheesy funk.
The flavor is also great. Medium sourness that doesn't linger. Instead oak and vanilla dominate the finish. Up front it is acidic and sour with vinegar, sour apples, and lemons. Mid palate is malty and fruity. The funk isn't as prevalent in the flavor. It is mostly just a well-balance sour. The mouthfeel is pretty carbonated and it ends up pretty dry.
New Glarus strikes again.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
3.16/5 rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.16/5 rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Semi-clear reddish orange with a quickly disappearing fizz.
The nose is funky, woody whisky with caramel, sharp cherry and peppery horse blanket, as the thin crisp body reinforces the woodiness with a sour, peppery spiced red crab apple, finishing dry.
I believe this "Sour Ale" label stated it was brewed in 2012 and bottled in 2015.
Apr 02, 2018The nose is funky, woody whisky with caramel, sharp cherry and peppery horse blanket, as the thin crisp body reinforces the woodiness with a sour, peppery spiced red crab apple, finishing dry.
I believe this "Sour Ale" label stated it was brewed in 2012 and bottled in 2015.
Reviewed by popery from California
3.85/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The beer is a deep amber color. Lots of yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle and the liquid is fairly cloudy. Small yellow-white head, a bit fizzy. There’s a little but sweet and sour malt flavor but it’s mostly nice sour and funk. Smells like a pale sour with a little bit of oud bruin-ishness. Taste is lightly sweet and medium sour. Moderately dry. Some lemon, a little under ripe nectarine. A bit more of that oud bruin character. There’s a hint of legitimate lambic funky depth but it’s fleeting. Medium body. Nice sour. I prefer the peach by a hair but it’s better than the kriek and geuze for me.
Aug 03, 2015Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.58/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.58/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Brewed Dec '09, bottled March '12, thanks to rudzud for sharing.
Pours light fizzy head that fades med pace with streaming bubbles, hazy candy reddish orange color light lacing and nice legs.
Nose is great, nice sour funk, lacto and some nice sour Brett funk, lactic acid and vinous notes, fruity sourness and tangy, nice mild vanilla oak, very tart and berry skin like tannin.
Taste blends nice sourness with buttery oak and lactic acid, nice Brett sour funk, nice lacto like creamy sourness, with tangy tart juicy fruit and nice acidic level. Nice toasty oak vanilla buttery oak, light bready note, nice tannic berry skin and vinous like with touch lemony funk.
Mouth is med bod, lighter but decent carb, sour lacto.
overall awesome, great all-around.
Apr 03, 2015Pours light fizzy head that fades med pace with streaming bubbles, hazy candy reddish orange color light lacing and nice legs.
Nose is great, nice sour funk, lacto and some nice sour Brett funk, lactic acid and vinous notes, fruity sourness and tangy, nice mild vanilla oak, very tart and berry skin like tannin.
Taste blends nice sourness with buttery oak and lactic acid, nice Brett sour funk, nice lacto like creamy sourness, with tangy tart juicy fruit and nice acidic level. Nice toasty oak vanilla buttery oak, light bready note, nice tannic berry skin and vinous like with touch lemony funk.
Mouth is med bod, lighter but decent carb, sour lacto.
overall awesome, great all-around.
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts
4.58/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.58/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Received in a trade long ago. Shared with JLindros.
A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy amber hue with a thin head that fades to leave light wisps.
S - Aromas of lovely lacto sourness, light oak and tannins, nice brett funk. Creamy light vanilla with oak. My minds eye likens this almost to beatification due to faint lemon berry skin.
T - Taste is similar to the nose, loads of lacto, light brett funk, faint vanilla oak tannins, light lemons and green berry skin. Not overly sour, just sour enough. Really really pleasant.
M - Mouthfeel is a touch weak, lightly carbonated.
O - Overall this beer was really tasty, very complex. Was scared that time works have affected this badly but man oh man was this tasty. Glad I held I to this as it was from one of my first trades way back when.
Serving type: bottle
Apr 03, 2015A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy amber hue with a thin head that fades to leave light wisps.
S - Aromas of lovely lacto sourness, light oak and tannins, nice brett funk. Creamy light vanilla with oak. My minds eye likens this almost to beatification due to faint lemon berry skin.
T - Taste is similar to the nose, loads of lacto, light brett funk, faint vanilla oak tannins, light lemons and green berry skin. Not overly sour, just sour enough. Really really pleasant.
M - Mouthfeel is a touch weak, lightly carbonated.
O - Overall this beer was really tasty, very complex. Was scared that time works have affected this badly but man oh man was this tasty. Glad I held I to this as it was from one of my first trades way back when.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania
4.36/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.36/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This poured out as a slightly hazy golden color with a fizzy white head on top. The smell of the beer has a lot of earthy oaky funk. The taste is very similar to the nose. There might be some citrus in there as well. The feel is dry. Overall this beer was fun to try, not their best Wild Ale though.
Dec 05, 2014Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon
4.42/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.42/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
500ml bottle from the August 2012 release. Poured into a snifter 11/28/2014.
A- Medium copper-amber body, half finger white head that quickly dissipates into a medium collar. Nice lacing, not much retention overall. [4]
S- Rich oak flavours, tannins, lots of funk. Followed by lactic acid, vinegar, slight hint of sweet wheat. This is definitely living up to the billing. Not as much citrus as Beatification would bring but certainly a ton of oak and acidity. Smells rich and sour, and surprisingly funky. [4.5]
F- Lactic acid, vinegar, oak, funk. There is quite a bit of strong funk that I did not expect. Rich, lactic, funky, leathery with a good Brett contribution. Nice complexity, a step below Beatification in terms of what it brings, but it is drinking really nicely right now with that similar level of complexity minus the lemon and citrus flavours. [4.5]
M- Medium bodied, nicely carbonated, soft and refreshing at the same time. Nice leathery sourness that lingers on the palate. This is drinking great right now; very easy to drink. [4.5]
O- This was a real treat to drink. It's another example of why Dan is one of the best brewers out there, and he's been doing it even before sour beers became the big fad that it is now. Rich, sour, funky and once again, sour. Very tasty and well worth what it takes these days. [4.25]
Final score: 4.42
Nov 29, 2014A- Medium copper-amber body, half finger white head that quickly dissipates into a medium collar. Nice lacing, not much retention overall. [4]
S- Rich oak flavours, tannins, lots of funk. Followed by lactic acid, vinegar, slight hint of sweet wheat. This is definitely living up to the billing. Not as much citrus as Beatification would bring but certainly a ton of oak and acidity. Smells rich and sour, and surprisingly funky. [4.5]
F- Lactic acid, vinegar, oak, funk. There is quite a bit of strong funk that I did not expect. Rich, lactic, funky, leathery with a good Brett contribution. Nice complexity, a step below Beatification in terms of what it brings, but it is drinking really nicely right now with that similar level of complexity minus the lemon and citrus flavours. [4.5]
M- Medium bodied, nicely carbonated, soft and refreshing at the same time. Nice leathery sourness that lingers on the palate. This is drinking great right now; very easy to drink. [4.5]
O- This was a real treat to drink. It's another example of why Dan is one of the best brewers out there, and he's been doing it even before sour beers became the big fad that it is now. Rich, sour, funky and once again, sour. Very tasty and well worth what it takes these days. [4.25]
Final score: 4.42
R&D Sour Ale from New Glarus Brewing Company
Beer rating:
95 out of
100 with
148 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!