Sours: Help for Noobs

Weyerbacher Riserva is a delicious Wild Ale. It is expensive. Like 16-20 for a 750ml. Also try Allagash Brewery. They have very limited amazing sours. I hope you find something good.

 

Lindeman's Cuvee Rene
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/187/6104/

White Birch Blueberry Berliner Weisse
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20417/146806/

Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/132073/


The White Birch may be a stretch for you, but the style in general has a mild subdued tartness that can give you an intro. I'm just starting to get into the style myself and these are some "gateways" I've used. Cuvee Rene I just tried this weekend (after reading a lot of recommendations on it from here) and it definitely lived up to the expectations. Fantastic and pretty easy to find, slightly funk, tart, just great in general.

The AVB Blood Orange Gose has replaced about half of my daily water intake at this point, stuff is awesome and is an excellent gateway sour.

If some of the really funky stuff is off-putting to you, probably avoid Brett-heavy wild ales for now - Brett is the yeast strain responsible for most of the barnyard/wet horse blanket smell.

Also here's a thread I started a few weeks ago on the same topic with some good recommendations.

 

I definitely agree with Phrambroise above... Rodenbach Grand Cru is a classic beer and very reasonably priced (especially for sours).

Once you have tried a few sours, I suggest you swing a trade with someone on the West Coast for some Russian River sours. Just my opinion, but I think they are in a class by themselves.

 

@jivex5k composed a great post, not lots to add. I like sours quite a bit, but didn't always. You have to get into them. One other recommendation would be to try some Brett'd saisons like the ones from Grassroots. Those aren't the easiest to get, but maybe someone else would know of others like that. They aren't so "punch in the face" sour like others often are. Perenial's sour varieties aren't terribly sour IMO either.

 

Being in MD, your best bet is Rodenbach Grand Cru or (if you can find it) Caractere or one of the Anderson Valley Goses. New Belgium's La Folie is also still hanging around at a bunch of shops and Boulevard's Love Child #5 is coming out in the next few months too I think and should be easy to find.

But IMO, the best you'll find is Lost Rhino's Exesus Sanctum (peach sour) which you can find right now at a number of Total Wine's in NoVA. It's a bit expensive, but well worth it.

 

Had a New Belgium La Terroir at a party over the weekend. Great beer.

 

Blood Orange Gose is tasty and only slightly sour. Forgot about that one. I think the regular gose's are repulsive, but many others disagree with me on that one

 

I would recommend Anchorage Brewing (anything) as gateway. Rather subtle souring, nice complex wild Brett character, very balanced beers.

 

Rare Barrel does some really outstanding and very sour beers. Very flavorful with lots of flavors coming through.

Jester King also does some amazing fruited sours.

Find the european imports, and then find what brewery local to you sells sours. Then start trading!

 

Since many are suggesting Flemish beers and others, here are a few. Also, Flemish beers and Berlinner Weiss are more cost effective and easy to find.

Petrus & Petrus Red - not classified as sours but are nice and tart
Ichtegems Grand Cru - oaky/tart
1809 Berliner Weiss - great example of the style
Bellegems Bruin - tart/dry/a little sweet

 

You live in Maryland. Go to Lost Rhino in Ashburn. Get the Peach sour bottle Exesum Sanctum. You can thank me later. They still had bottles as of Sunday.

 

Helpful post - I'm in the same boat. I have a Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour in the fridge currently. So far I've only had the fruit lambics (great with dessert) and the 21st amendment/uinta birthday suit (did not enjoy).

 

Definitely get your hands on a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru and don't look back.

 

For the money, Rodenbach Grand Cru is the gospel.

 

Duchesse de Bourgogne. My first sour, and still a personal favorite.

 

Ftfy. If you're looking for sour beers look elsewhere. Their R&D series will be way too hard to trade for to make sense if you're not sure you're into the style. Cranbic is a bit sour for a fruit soda beer. Their Berliner Weiss was great and really refreshing. I'd go for Cranbic and the Weiss from NG if the brewery interests you.

 

This is alot of great info and I really appreciate the feedback from everyone. Looks like Rodenbach Grand Cru is on my wish list to start

I actually picked up Lost Rhino Sour Peach (out of curiosity) a few months ago but havent cracked it yet. Funny enough, I have a Blood Orange Gose in the fridge right now. Picked up 2 and had one 2 weeks ago, it was pretty good. At Snallygaster (amazing beer festival in DC) I had Avery Lilikoi Kepolo, which I originally thought was a sour, was actually a belgian wit but had tons of passionfruit which natuarally made it tart and sour. I loved it so maybe some fruit beers are in my future to help this transition

 

Fruited sours

Russian River stuff to trade for or Goose Island sisters (expensive) on the shelf. I love Halia although it's not sour like the rest. Haven't tried the '14 Madame Rose (pricetag skyrocketed) but other years were incredible. If you like Rodenbach Grand Cru and spending three times as much for something that might be better try Madame Rose.

This Lost Rhino sour peach interests me......

 

Jive already mentioned it but New Belgium La Folie is a relatively easy to find, delicious sour. It, along with a Fantome, were the first sour beers I had and it set a nice standard. Anderson Valley's the Kimmie, the Yink and the Holy Gose is also a solid, pretty easy to find sour. With that said, you're in Maryland..drive to Philadelphia and buy some Russian River sours now.

 

I know that everyone loves sours nowadays. Personally, I always felt like they weren't "my thing" when it came to preferred styles. I have tried a few different ones (SitR, a couple Jolly Pumpkins, and other randoms). They were OK to me...not the worst but not my first choice. Now I'm starting to think that I'm missing out...

For example, I used to hate IPAs but now they're one of my favorite styles to drink on the regular. So I'm second guessing my damnation of the sour style(s) and want to give them a fair shot now that my palate is more well-rounded.

Am I alone in this? Does anyone else just flat out hate sours?

I would love to try a really good, mild sour to perhaps ease into things and not get scared off from the style again but I have no idea where to begin. I hear great things about Cascade, Jester King and Wicked Weed amongst others. I have thought about trading for some if the opportunity presents itself. Sour drinkers: I'd love to have to recommendations!

Cheers!