Sours...I'm Hooked.

Of the sours I can get without ordering/trading Liefman's Goudenband is my favorite. I'd imagine you could probably get your hands on that one. I also like pretty much everything JP puts out and enjoy the Boon Geuze quite a bit.

 

Crap. Now There's another one to fight over Cantillon for... JK.

Welcome to the fun and expensive world of sours.

 

What I love about RR in general ouside of the taste of course, is the abv! Sure the price is a bit high but some sours are too sweet for my liking. I just picked up some Cuvee de Jacobins and it was very good although I would have liked more bite and less sweet.

3F Gueze, Oude Kriek, Cuvvee Rene can be really tart and sour where as the RRs aged in wine barrels add just the right flavoring.

 

Highland wild is excellent!

 

If you haven't already had it, Rodenbach Grand Cru would be one of my first recommendations - tart, complex, and best of all, cheap (for a sour beer - $10 for a 750ml bottle)! The Petrus sours would be another good choice.

Once you go down the rabbit hole of lambics/wild ales, though...your palate may thank you but your wallet won't.

 

If you have access to Jolly Pumpkin and crave that tart sourness, La Roja and Biere de Mars are both on the tart end relative to something like Bam Biere. I would highly recommend both if you come across them.

 

I would start with Rodenbach's Flanders Red before going to the Grand Cru. The Grand Cru has a lot more of the acetic/vinegar flavors, so you might want to try the more restrained version, first.

 

Yes, RR sours especially sanctification would be a good next step for you. Also, since you're just gonna go deeper in the rabbit hole you might as well try trading for some beatification while you're at it. It's only gonna get harder to trade for and even though its probably too sour for you now, eventually you're gonna love it and be glad you didn't have to trade whatever its commanding when you get around to liking super sour.

 

petrus aged pale is great and available in most markets

 

Not widely available but if you just want pure sourness Mother Funker or Cantillon Geuze.

 

So what do you guys like in the sour style beers? This includes fruit lambics and the like. I had this Oude Kriek by Hanssens (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/636/1709) and didn't like it one bit. I definitely got the fruit out of it but it was to sour. A little sourness in a beer is alright, but that was too much.

Is it safe to say I can't handle sours?

 

you just have to expand your palate by gradually moving up from mildly sour to super sour. For me it was more the funk that I had to get used to.

 

Sadly I love sours too...........

 

No, you just started too aggressive. Your palate has to get used to it. I recommend start with Rodenbach and Jolly Pumpkin which are easy to find. Then move to sanctification and other RR sours along with upright and upland and cascade if you trade. Finally the belgians is the last step since they tend to be super sour.

 

And just how does one get used to the funk? Not being sarcastic or facetious; I'm genuinely curious as to how to drink something that smells like that. I had a Passionfruit Berliner Weisse at Hunahpu Day and could barely chug it down; the funk was so bad I could taste it along with the sour.

 

If you really have a desire to go belgian, try Cantillon Rose de Ganbrinus and avoid Oud Beersel Oude Gueuze. The former has a toch of funk and tart and the latter has more lactic, tartness, and sour than anything else.

Ill second the Boon and Lindemans Gueuze as well. PS if you see 3Fonteinen Oude Gueuze, grab it and wait for around a year until youre ready. Its still kind of hard to find. Youll thank me later if you do.

Try some fruit lambics as well as Jolly Pumpkin Bambic.

 

Chug it down?

 

Strongly disagree. It sounds like he likes the super-sourness. I'd go straight to Grand Cru. If you like that, you'll like any sour, more or less. If you don't, then tone it back. Don't go part way and then back it up.