Sour Resin Project #4
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant

Manayunk Brewing Co. "Sour Resin Project #4"
7.50 / 10 oz. via cask @ Johnny Brenda's, Phila., PA on 06/02/2018

Notes: This cask contains additional raspberries and strawberries. Hazy gold with an orange sheen. No head, which is to be expected of a sour beer on cask. Quite floral in the nose. Background, non-distinct fruit. The flavor is tart, fruity, and somewhat citrusy. The raspberry shows clearly in the finish but there's only a hint of the strawberry, which is not surprising as strawberry is a fairly mild fruit. Regardless, that's not a problem as it's nicely balanced between the two. Moderately bitter, but acidic with a dry finish where the fruit lingers. Light to light-medium in body with a low-level carbonation. Apart from the mouthfeel which is a bit of a let down it's quite good.

I had a CAN of SRP # 2 that exploded on me before I could drink it so when #4 came in at the FGBS, I quickly put it into the reefer to keep it cold. I have no idea if it was an anomaly, but I wanted to be able to drink & review this one for The CANQuest (tm), so I was taking no ChANces.

From the CAN: "SRP Dry-hopped Sour Ale #4"; "The Place Where We Drink"; "Sour Resin Project 4"; "Our SRP defies brewing boundaries. Since our earliest roots, we have aspired to create unique, delicious, fresh craft beer for our local community. This project allows our brewers to experiment with custom small-batches and non-traditional techniques. We hope you enjoy these beers and look forward to your feedback."

I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I was frankly astounded by the amount of foaming that was ocCANurring & which eventually settled into two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, bone-white head with very good retention. Color was a hazy Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5). Nose had a hoppy lemoniness, not really sour, but quite tart. My initial taste reinforced this as my lips puckered unCANtrollably from the outset. This was definitely tart, very citrusy with lemon & grapefruit, but also a light funkiness. This seemed like more of a beginner's introduction to the style than a full-on immersion. There was no indication of Brett. so it was probably kettle-soured. Fair dinkum. I was ready for something less intense in the style following my previous beer which still has me sweating a bit. Definitely tart with a light hoppy bitterness as a CANterbalance. Finish was tart & dry, but very pleasant. YMMV.

 

Poured from a tallboy can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Clear light golden pour with 2 fingers of foamy white head. Nice ring of lacing.

S: Light aroma... tart green apple mostly, but not a whole lot on the nose.

T/F: Tart and fruity... green apple, lemon, and unripened stone fruit. Light funk and barnyard. Modest sweetness is quickly overcome by the tart. Light bodied... well carbonated and sticky on the tongue.

O: A nice little sour. Relatively high ABV for the style, but quite drinkable with some nice tart fruit going on. Enjoyable beer.

I was slightly reluctant to try this one, even though I live just a few minutes outside Philly. Other stuff I've tried from the brewery have been a mixed bag.

This one is pretty good. It's the first hybrid IPA/Sour I've tried, and it comes pretty close to hitting the mark.

Poured from a 16 oz can into a regular glass, the look is hazy amber with a quickly dissipating head and some remaining lacing.

The smell, though! Ahhhh! It's one of the nicest smelling brews I've ever sniffed. It's tart and oh so juicy! Not juicy in the way a citrus forward IPA is, but juicy in its own way. Yes, I get the hops, but the way the hops meld with the sour is quite lovely.

The flavor, unfortunately, doesn't quite live up to the promise of the smell. It *is* hoppy and sour, but rather subdued. The mouthfeel is on the watery side. The taste ended up being more like grapefruit pith.

It's a decent attempt, though, from a local brewer. If the brewmaster wanted to tweak the formula a little bit, this could be a real contender.