what is a good sour beer

looking for a good sour to brew

You're going to have to be more specific. There's many different styles of sour beers that are available.

thats what I am asking what is a sour beer I want some examples so I can try them. So I can see if I want to brew one

Check out the BJCP style guidelines and look at the bottom of Sour Beer category. They list the classic examples or commercial examples. That should give you a good idea of what to try.

King of Cascade said:

Check out the BJCP style guidelines and look at the bottom of Sour Beer category. They list the classic examples or commercial examples. That should give you a good idea of what to try.

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Duchesse de Bourgogne was a sour Flemish Red that I tried for the first time last night. It was not what I have expected... I don't really know what I expected. I would have really enjoyed the flavors if the aceto/acetic character wasn't so pronounced. I know it is a desirable characteristic in the style and the other flavors were good, it just smelled and tasted too much like vinegar.

That aside, the beer had a delicious sour cherry flavor. I want to look into the soured ales and see if I can tone them down a bit and still get that good flavor without the acetic bite and aroma.

I have tried a bunch but just don't like 'em. Must be my tongue. To me they always taste like a beer gone bad. If you find one you like let me know. I like beers sweet, I like them hoppy, I like them bitter, I like them malty but I don't like them sour. Carry on your search. Charlie

Good sour beers I have been able to find are:
Rodenbach Redbach - Flanders red ale, blended aged sour ale with young non sour
Rodenbach Grand Cru - Flanders red unblended aged sour
Lindenmann's Gueuze Cuvée René - Gueuze (blended lambic style)

The rest of the Lindenmann's that you usually find are heavily sweetened and are more like a wine cooler than a beer. Any of the sour beers have a very unique taste that is probably not what you expect.

Also be aware that brewing a sour ale requires a long fermentation time, 6 months plus for Flanders and years for lambic. They also increase the risk of an infection in your other brews. It is suggested that you do not use plastic buckets and hoses on non sour beers after they have been used on a sour beer. Glass and stainless steel items should be throughly washed with bleach.

Craig