Sour Beer Trending UP

So, you like non-fruity sours, then? What about funky sours? I like all three, but lean towards puckery and fruity (liked Duchess, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Tart of Darkness, Petrus Aged Pale and Aged Red with Cherries, not as much Monk's Cafe; the others you mentioned I haven't tried yet).

 

Giant wall of text, cool story, etc ahead:

I have spent a buttload on sours this year that I didn't last year. This was the year of the sour and lambic for me - previously the most I've really had were Framboise lambics, in addition to Wakefield's Berliners here and there.

Surprised Rodenbach has been mentioned so much, with no mention of their new Caractere Rogue. It is a 5/5 beer for me and a superb flanders red - even better than Cuvee des Jacobins. You can buy it at TW now, too. I'm OK letting the cat out of the bag since I snagged a few bottles

Tilquin's gueuze had a metallic quality to it that I didn't like, but the St. Louis Fond Tradition from Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck was much better.

The only Goose Island sour I thought was excellent was Juliet. Absolutely delicious. The rest were just OK and too 'middle of the road' for me.

Lets see, what else hit my palette this year for the first time in the lambic/sour/wild category:

Cascade's Sang Noir, Kriek and Apricot, Cuvee Freddy Zymatore from Alvinne, 3F Intense Red, 3F Schaarbeekse Kriek (still have some bottles of this, think they're 2008), Cantillon Kriek, Hanssens Experimental Rasperry, Hanssen's Scaranbecca Kriek, Westbrook's Gozu, Goose Island's Lolita and Halia, Widmer's Marionberry Hibiscus, Greg Rapp's Gose, Cisco's Pechish Woods, Bruery's Sour in the Rye and Oude Tart, Petrus Oud Bruin from Bavik, Rodenbach Classic, Duchesse de Bourgogne from Verhaeghe, Malefactor from Upland, Cigar City's Don Gavino's Big Guava, and Wakefield's 'Wildcat' Kentucky Common and Passionfruit Dragonfruit.

The best I think I've had though I got to try the other night - Crooked Stave's Origins. Will need to find more of it in 2014 to better gauge it against the rest.

Perhaps I should have just stuck with cheaper more readily stouts, porters and pale ales... adventuring in sours has definitely not been cheap!

 

Did you try "aging" your witbier? Back in the day, I tried that once, and I won't ever do that again.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/48/
Check the side note for extended cellaring.

 

IMO, you're not missing anything.

 

One of the bars I go to always has at least one "sour" on tap. The barmaid always gives me a sample of the sour to taste in the hope I might like it. I haven't liked one yet, but am always happy to try another one.

 

Good thread, thanks for all the lists of things to check out. I got bit by the sour bugs several years ago and the obsession has not let up. My favorite style is Flanders Red but I think Berlinerweisse might be the most refreshing, summer-drinking style out there. LOVE them, and I love that so many breweries are starting to offer them.

Cheers.

 

Yeah, well, you're absolutely right but they've got 400-600 years head start on us. It won't take US brewers that long to catch up, though, if I know us.