Sour gateway beer

I'm a big fan our sour beers, and am trying to spread the love to other less adventurous friends. When people hear words like "farmhouse" and "horse blanket", it makes it even less likely they'll try it. Inspired by this article http://www.chow.com/stories/11603 (as a friend said "if I wanted to taste goat, I'd go lick a goat"), I was wondering what people would recommend for getting people started on to sours. I honestly can't remember what got me on my way, but I know there were a few that were way too funky for me initially. So I'm curious what others might recommend as a starter into the world of funk.

Having tried a couple, my guess is you either like it or you don't. I don't.

If their palate is geared towards liking sweet things, go with Duchesse or Monk's Cafe. If you want something more along dry, balanced, and tart, I'd go with Petrus Aged Pale. Then work up to Lindeman's Cuvee Renee. Maybe try to slip in some Cantillon Kriek for either camps. The fruit aspect of it makes it interesting for people not used to it.

And if any of that is not sour enough, Rodenbach Grand Cru pleases a ton of people.

You can try this:

5 lbs 2-Row
3 lbs Gym towels
3 lbs Boxer shorts
2 lbs socks

Protein rest at 120 degrees for 15 minutes (helps break down the chunks in the boxer shorts). If you have a dog, this would be a good time to dip it's @ss in the mash.

Mash at 152 degree for 60 minutes. Collect 7 gallons of wort total.

Boil for 1 hour, at first boiling bubble add one ounce of lawn clippings for bittering. At last 2 minutes, add one pickled egg for aroma.

Just kidding. I'm also of the "you either like it or don't" opinion. It's something that's never grown on me.......

I think Orval is a nice Mildly sour. Basically the only sour I've had. I hope to find more in my area.

Deschutes' The Dissident is one of my favorites for introducing new people to the style.

IrregularPulse said:

I think Orval is a nice Mildly sour. Basically the only sour I've had. I hope to find more in my area.

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I think Orval would be a good choice, if it's considered a sour. I agree that it's fairly mild. I'm not really sure what beers qualify as sour. I like Duchess de Bourgogne. I believe that's considered a sour beer. I love it, but I can see how some people might not be up for it. Then again, there aren't too many beers I'm not up for. When I go to the LHBS looking for something new to brew they ask, "What kind of beer do you like?" Excuse me? I'm not sure I understand the question...

IrregularPulse said:

I think Orval is a nice Mildly sour. Basically the only sour I've had. I hope to find more in my area.

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Orval is not really a sour beer at all; Brettanomyces adds a little some cherry pie tartness and aroma but it's really all about the horsey, barnyardy character that makes Orval so uniquely funky.

If you dig on Orval, you might want to plan a recipe around the new Trappist Blend release from Wyeast that has Brett in the blend.

Wyeast 3789-PC Trappist Blend
Beer Styles: Belgian Specialty Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Flanders Red, Oud Bruin
Profile: A unique blend of Belgian Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces for emulating Trappist style beer from the Florenville region in Belgium. Phenolics, mild fruitiness and complex spicy notes develop with increased fermentation temperatures. Subdued but classic Brett character.

Alc. Tolerance 12% ABV
Flocculation medium
Attenuation 75-80%
Temperature Range 68-85°F (18-30°C)

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I agree with the like it or don't sentiment, but one has to at least try one or two to start.
Orval is a good suggestion. I think they only add brett after the main ferment, so it's not full-on brett.
Maybe the Duchess, though it mostly tastes like balsamic vinegar to me...

Bokonon said:

Deschutes' The Dissident is one of my favorites for introducing new people to the style.

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Dissident would be great for that. also, Consecration would be good.

I would suggest starting them down the path with a Berlinner Weiss. Has the tartness and just enough acid to pique interest. Then bring them into the truly sour arena.

I disagree that they are like or dislike. It is like anything else, if you are open to it, you will come to appreciate them. They may never be your favorite, but you can come to enjoy them wholeheartedly.

flyangler18 said:

Orval is not really a sour beer at all; Brettanomyces adds a little some cherry pie tartness and aroma but it's really all about the horsey, barnyardy character that makes Orval so uniquely funky.

If you dig on Orval, you might want to plan a recipe around the new Trappist Blend release from Wyeast that has Brett in the blend.

Click to expand...

I plan to try one of the special release Brett strains. Just need to find a proven recipe to add it to. I am no recipe formulater yet. I'd like something that would hold of with a normal yeast and a Brett strain so I could split a 10G batch with 2 strains.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I would suggest starting them down the path with a Berlinner Weiss. Has the tartness and just enough acid to pique interest. Then bring them into the truly sour arena.

I disagree that they are like or dislike. It is like anything else, if you are open to it, you will come to appreciate them. They may never be your favorite, but you can come to enjoy them wholeheartedly.

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I was not a fan of the berlinner weiss I had. Pretty dissapointed. Tasted like I was drinking carbonated lemonade with a tint of wheat beer.
It was something 1800. Maybe there is a better one.
I agree that's its not a love hate thing.
Just make sure they understand what they're to be tasting, if they go into thinking "beer" it will taste horrible to them. If they go in thinking Sour Beer, they may take to it better.
I think I'd prefer a malty background to my sour beers, but am open to drink anything once.

Rodenbach Grand Cru, Monk's Cafe, and Petrus Aged Red are pretty easy-going training wheels for the style. And they're widely available.