What "Sour" Should I Start With?

It would be easier if you offered multiple choice. You could take a picture of the sours you have access to and upload it here. Or just look up each on on this site to check its score.

 

I don't know what's available in Ontario, but I think a nice fruit lambic is a great way to get into the style in the first place. I also like Flanders Oud Bruins (Petrus Oud Bruin or Madame Rose) and Flanders Red Ales (Duchesse De Bourgogne or Rodenbach Grand Cru or Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge).

Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René is also readily available, and I think gueuzes are usually pretty pleasant on most palates.

 

+1 for the Duchesse

 

Rodenbach Grand Cru is where I'd start.

 

Cuvée Rene FTW.
Economic. Delicious. Accessible. Great representation of the style.
What's not to love???

 

Duchesse is delicious. Drinking it as I type.

 

I assume that you may have Oude Gueuze Tilquin?
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25923/70745/

 

Duchesse is great if you like sweet vinegar. There are so many different kinds of sours you need to try a few to see what you like. I prefer American Wild Ales. Check out lists like this one.
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2014/...sian-river-new-belgium-best-beer-reviews.html

 

My first two were La Folie and Duchess.

 

I would suggest 1809 berliner weisse.
Its not full blown all up in your face sour but it is a good starting point and fantastic.

 

There are a few major styles, and all of them tend to be quite different from each other:
- Belgians: Flemish Red, Oud Bruin
- Lambics (technically also Belgian): gueuze, unblended lambic, fruited lambics (kriek, framboise, etc)
- German: Gose, Berliner-Weisse
- American Wild Ales: these run the gamut and it's sort of a catch-all category for many of the sours American brewers are putting out

There's also the not-necessarily-sour category of beers brewed with brettanomyces that some people call "sour" anyway. See Crooked Stave for examples of what one can do with brett.

Rodenbach Grand Cru, Cuvee des Jacobins, and Duchesse are all excellent Flemish reds. Deschutes' The Dissident is an Oud Bruin with fruit added and is quite good if not exactly to style due to the fruit.

With lambics, you have to sort of take what you can get. I don't think Cuvee Rene is that great, but it's a decent introduction to the style.

Gose may be hard to find where you are, but both Westbrook and Anderson Valley produce good ones. I like Professor Fritz Briem's 1809 Berliner Weisse, but you may have other options available to you.

As for AWAs, I'd just use the reviews on BA as a guideline depending on what you can find at the store.

 

there are many great sours/wild ales, but most are often regional or otherwise hard to get.. Cisco Lady of the Woods is really good. And yeah, Duchesse is top shelf and very easy to get at least odwn here in the states

 

Check out certain saisons and or berliner weisses as good summer styles that may have a little sour or funk to them