First sour?

It will!!!!

 

Any of the New Glarus fruit beers are perfect sour starters.

 

It's easy to find around here at least, it's at any respectable bottle shop and it's practically the house beer at Two Stones Pubs in DE/SEPA, but I've looked before for info on distribution and it's hard to get a map for it.
It's definitely easier to come by than Russian River or New Glarus or seasonals like La Folie.

 

Monks Cafe Flemish Sour was my very first sour and I still say that it is pretty damn good.

 

My first was Oude Tart from the Bruery and I couldn't finish it. Ended up capping it and opening it the next day.. thought it was better flat as odd as that sounds. I've been slowly processing and have noticed atleast for my palate it needs to warm up to beer in general before diving strait into a sour. I like coming home and drinking an ipa then moving on to sours. My all time fav thus far is Russian Rivers Consecration, there's many great sours out there. I've only tried a handful so far.

 

Man, I'll never forget it. Consecration from Russian River was my first "sour." We were eating at the Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens and they had it on tap. We then proceeded to order Supplication, which was even better, followed by Temptation and finished the "sours" with Grand Cru. Don't know if this happens to any of you, but any time I've ever attempted to have that many "sours" in one sitting, my stomach does not appreciate the beers like my mouth does!

 

I definitely enjoyed it, but I'm going to need to try some other things so I have a bit more of a frame of reference.

I found a bar in Philly that might have all of the RR sours on hand, so I need to make a road trip.

Nice avatar btw.

 

Nodding Head Berliner Weisse!

 

Had two different vintages of this, was told it was regarded as one of the finest. That being said, not sure sours are my cup of tea. I respect what it was, but just can't get into it.

 

I love this website. I didn't chime in or anything previously but I also have anxiously been wanting to try a sour. My buddies sister grabbed me some RR Temptation in Pittsburgh that I am waiting to get off her next time one of us makes a trip but I didn't want that to be my first since I figure that will probably spoil everything I have after. Seemed like Grand Cru was a fairly unanimous choice as a gateway sour so I just ran out and grabbed a bottle.

I have a snifter, tulip, pilsner, weizen, and teku glass on hand. What would you all suggest for this type of beer?

 

I would recommend Brux by SN/Russian River. Very easy on the palate for a first wild.

 

some of my ale-loving friends want to start appreciating sours but wince when they have a real one. My advice to them is go half-way and get acclimated, such as farmhouses and saisons - Saison Dupont is super easy to find and fairly cheap. You get used to the different flavor profile (transitioning from hoppy/malty to funky/bacterial) before having it slap you silly.

 

Where are these easy to get shelf Cantillon of which you speak?

 

saisons?

 

Rodenbach Grand Cru is the most approachable sour in my opinion. Followed closely by Duchess De Burgone (sp?).

 

Had New Glarus Thumbprint Wild Sour Ale last night. Awesome.

 

The first one I liked was Boon Marriage Parfait

 

Boulevard's Love Child #2. Didn't particularly care for it. Now, as my palette has progressed, I love these beers.

 

Duchesse de Bourgogne is probably the best starter i can think of. its a shelf beer around here and isnt crazy sour so it might be a good place to start. a lot of people are suggesting great sours but most of them are beers you would have to trade for. id do some looking in your local stores to see if sours are your thing before i started trading for some. some like La Folie and La Roja have been mentioned, they are great and might be in your area.

 

2008 Deschutes The Dissident. I've been hooked ever since.