Catharina
Deschutes Brewery

That tropical vacation may be hard to come by, but for about two retail dollars, at least the tastebuds can take that trip thanks to Deschutes and this guava and raspberry kettle sour ale.

Dusty mauve and hanging onto a hint of rust, Catharina releases a foamy eggshell froth and a tantalizing scent of citrus, tropical fruit and red berry with a back note of cider and white wine. A glimpse of maltiness skirts the early palate with notions of sourdough, taffy and wafer.

A rising taste of raspberry captivates the middle palate with a juicy tartness and an elevated sense of flavor thanks to the nature of the dark berry. Not to be outdone, the succulence of guava provide an underpinning of agave, honeysuckle and melon-like juiciness ahead of the sprit acidity to come. Leading to a crisp, refreshing and clean sourness to close, the balance is decidedly tart with those flavors of cider and wine being the leading catalysts.

Medium-light and trending dry, the ale is a highly refreshing take on traditional German sour ale, giving the character of wine spritzer, fruit punch and tropical cocktail with a high sense of drinkability. Deschutes hits this one right on its head.

Pours a hazy gold with 2 fingers of eggshell colored head. No head retention or lacing

S: Plenty of raspberry, some lemon notes

T: Guava & Raspberry, plenty of tartness & a touch of salt up front. Guava, dryness & tart Raspberries as this beer warms up. Finishes tart, dry, salty with lemons & raspberries

MF: Medium body, pretty firm carbonation

Nothing special about this beer, alright drinkability, but just not a ton going on flavor-wise

 

12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left minimal lacing on the glass. It smelled of raspberry, guava, caramel and some lemon. Tart raspberry, guava and lemon taste with some sweet caramel.