Sour Beers for a Newbie

I'd recommend this, http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/828/2596/

 

This might be helpful. I found this on paste magazine's site about beginners guide to sour beers:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/03/beginners-guide-to-sour-beer.html

 

Why do beers like this always come up in "sours for newbie" threads? Not overly experienced in sours but Saison Dupont is not sour. Not even a little, in my experience anyway. Gotta echo others with the Anderson Valley Gose suggestion. The regular or the blood orange are both great and not super sour but enough that you aren't left wondering why someone suggested this, its not sour at all.

Aslo, sorry. Didn't mean to sound like such a dick about it.

 

Sour... is an extremely generalized term... that encompasses quite a bit.

 

I siad it because there is a little funk and tartness to it... is it full out sour? no is it something on the mellow side, something good.

 

My fault, if you're ever in the states seek it out.

 

These are the perfect intro into sours and great for summer.

 

I would recommend seeking out some Jolly Pumpkin beers if possible. The 3 Bam beers and Calabaza Blanca would be a great first foray into sours. All very available, delicious, and not all too pricey.

 

The duchesses Bourgogne was a great entry level beer for me. Not exactly a sour but it was a gateway beer for sure

 

Petrus aged pale ale. I think this is a great entry level sour and usually easily found.

 

Agreed. I had this recently for the first time and was left wanting more. To me it blew Wicked Weed Amorous out of the water( to compare a similar style sour with a much higher price).

 

cuvee des jaccobins is a good one. Pretty easy to find and not to pricey

 

Duchesse and Kasteel Rouge are both available everywhere (at least here) and very tasty. I could be talking out of my ass, but it seems that the world class sours are always very limited distribution (if they even leave the brewery at all) due to the cost of production: barrels, taking up space for a year..hence the $1 per ounce cost for the most part.

 

I'm not sure what you can get in Canada. The stuff recommended from Allagash is very good and its from Maine so youmight be able to bet some. Cantillon is pretty assertive and at least for me, it took a little getting used to. I find the stuff from Boon a little more accesible. For Lambics and Gueuze's you could start with some Belgians like Mort Subite, Timemrmans or Castle and then work your way up to Cantillon and Hansens. Look for stuff by Dieu de ciel and Hopfenstark from Quebec. Nickel Brook out of Ontario has Winey Bastard, Le Paysan Saison, Cuvee and Uber Berliner Weiss which all look interesting. I have heard that Bellwoods in Toronto also makes a Berliner Weiss.

 

No worries. Certainly check out Allagash if you're in Portland, ME! They do a coolship series and some other wild ales that are incredible ($12 a bottle). If you'll be around Portland though check out some of the threads in the New England area for great ideas and places to hit up. I was there this past Fall and it was incredible.

 

I revisited Alvinne Omega today. My, it is so good and so approachable.