New to Sour Beers. Recommendations?

Madrugada Obscura

 

I don't get the hate on The Duchese. Its a flanders red, so by definition, its going to be sweet and tart. Great intro and definitely one of the best examples of a Flanders Red. For an amazing straight up sour check out Temptation from Russian River.

 

Just started getting into sours and looking for some suggestions on must try sours. Thanks

 

Try some goses, they're usually not as extreme as some other sours and are becoming more popular. Goses are tart/sour and are brewed with salt, so they are also a tad salty (I feel that helps balance out the sourness). Anderson valley has several tasty varieties such as their Blood Orange Gose, Victory has Kirsch which is a sour cherry gose, and there are many German goses as well (it is a German style after all).

Berliner weisse is also an easy sour style to start out with. Try Festina Peche from DFH.

 

Do you get Avery down there? I haven't tried it yet but have a bottle of their Raspberry Sour in the fridge which is the first highly-regarded sour I've seen for $14/bottle.

I also recommend looking into Gose (look for Anderson Valley), Geueze, Lambic (Lindemans Cuvee Rene is decent, widely available and cheap) and Berliner Weisse as a good gateway that also won't murder your wallet.

 

The best are generally from Belgium: Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, and Rodenbach are my personal favorite sour breweries. Of those, Rodenbach Grand Cru or Rodenbach Vintage 2012 will probably be the only ones available in your area. Also, none of them are very good "intro" sours due to their intensity. Lindemans Cuvee Rene Geuze is a good one as far as availability, too, but intense (avoid all other Lindemans except Cuvee Rene Geuze and Cuvee Rene Kriek). Petrus Aged Pale should be easy to come by as well.

For domestic options that are available, The Bruery stuff is great, Allagash, Goose Island, Prairie, Anderson Valley Goses, and Westbrook Gose are probably the most widely available options. The cream of the crop, while not easily available, are options from Lost Abbey, Jester King, Casey, De Garde, Sante Adairius, Side Project, Funk Factory, Pizza Boy, Crooked Stave, New Glarus, and OEC.

Almost invariably, they will all be expensive. It's a cost of the process and care that goes into making them. Prepare your wallet.

 

A nice easy intro....

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/132073/

 

I would suggest something like Anderson Valley Holy Gose, I had my first one recently and it was good and not in your face. The first sour beer I ever had was Mikkeller Chardonnay Barrel Aged Mango It's Alive!!! and it was fantastic but I had it was also one of the first craft beers I tried. I wish now I would have saved it until I was a little more experienced because it is retired, the Gose would have been a way easier way to dip my toes.

 

these are the best /obtainable
Cuvee Rene
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Cuvee des Jacobins
Boon Mariage Parfait

 

Petrus

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze

 

I think people hate on it for being extremely acetic, not for the sweet and tart aspects. That vinegar sourness is just too much for some people, and Duchesse is the most blatantly balsamic vinegar-flavored thing I've tasted that wasn't actual balsamic vinegar.

 

Tilquin or Drie Fonteinen

 

Rodenbach Grand Cru
If you don't like it, sours aren't your thing. Plus it will only set you back $9.99 to try a 750ml bottle.

 

Rodenbach grand cru like the others have said. Ive found it to be the best for the price, if money is not a factor oude tart by the bruery is my favorite