Good Intro Sours?

Festina Peche did it for me, but you got a while to wait there.

 

Personally would stay clear from Westbrook and Anderson Valley Gose's for a little as they tend to me extremes for there style. You wont find many Goses to be like them at all.

 

Im still seeing this stuff on shelves up here in CT. Def a good suggestion

 

Just picked this up today actually. Very different, my first Gose. The salt is interesting to say the least.

 

Tell Tale Tart is a solid one. I'm also going to suggest a big one, and the first beer I cellared just so I would have one on hand when the moment was right: New Belgium's La Folie. I tried it the second time I ever drank, and it was my favorite beer all day during my NB tour. It brought out my inner kid who ate Warheads a handful at a time.

 

Three I can recommend for just starting out on the path to sours:

Ommegang Rosetta (nice and sweet for starting out)
Lost Abby Red Poppy
Allagash Avancé

 

Yeah, American style Goses are more tart and salty than traditional German ones. Sierra Nevada Otra Vez is another good starting point.

 

Ditto on not starting with La Folie - a serious punch in the mouth which i now love. First time i wasn't sue i could finish it! See if you can get some Avery Raspberry Sour - a pretty gentle intro but totally delicious. About $13 a bomber here in Denver.

 

I thought FW Agrestic was fairly easygoing.

 

Just had the Wakatu Sour from Almanac. Pretty sure you can find it at WF.

It was my first sour I purchased myself and I really enjoyed it. Lots of complexity, lemon, white wine, belgian yeast, funk, hops, sourness.

 

I know that Goose Island has some great sours.

 

Duchesse de Bourgogne
Rodenbach
Monks Cafe
Petrus

Start with the easily accessible classics.

 

try one of the destihl sour series. that will do.
or almanac.

 

FFF Pear Bear..couldn't get enough. Pucker up!

 

good stuff there!

 

You could always just hop over the border and pick up some new glarus fruited sours. Raspberry tart is probably my favorite and widely available anywhere in WI.

 

I respectfully disagree. If the Duchesse de Bourgogne was the first sour I ever tasted I would avoid every sour beer for the rest of my life. IMO the Flander's Red Ale style either a love it or hate it style...though I suppose that statement could be made with most sours....

 

Flanders red reminds me a lot of Red wine.Gueze is probably the most difficult to get in because it reminds some people of Vomit or an old barn.

 

I would say, to most folks, sours are a 50/50 proposition at best, love it or hate it. If I were going to start someone on a Sour path, it would be with a gentle sour, something like Wicked Weeds, "Serenity". I certainly wouldn't start someone with a mouth puckerer. Gose's are also great as a starter or even a Berlineer Weiss to ease someone in, preferably with fruit. However, my wife being an example, nothing could overcome that "vinegar taste" (her words).

When I'm at a communal table at a place I know sells solid sours, I usually ask folks around if they've ever had a sour beer. The answer is usually no. The nice thing about most area (my area) sour bars/breweries, they will let you sample taps. I always try to convince folks to take a sample. I find it 50/50 ish.

 

I'm a big red wine fan, but whenever I try a Flander's red I get flavors like ketchup mixed with pickle juice. It's always a drain pour for me. I agree with @NCMonte in that Gose's and Berlineer Weiss' are pretty good intro sours. Had my first Lichtenhainer earlier this week and really enjoyed it.

But hey, to each their own!