Sour/lambic connundrum

Let's get right down to it: I've grown tired of the typical IPA/PA/red/lager/stout crap.

The bottle shop I work at just got a case of Brux by Sierra Nevada/Russian River.

Now then: the most "sour" brew I've had would probably be a Framboise or something along that line, and I couldn't stand it. Looking to further advance my brewological palate, is Brux on the higher end of lambics/sours or would that be too much for someone not accustomed to such a brew? If not, any suggestions?

The reviews I've read say it isn't very sour - yet. I have a bottle, too, but I'm cellaring it for at least a year. I was going to get 2 bottles, but at 14.00 ea, I decided on just the one. I love sour beers, FWIW. I think Brux at this age would probably be a good intro. Alternatively, you could do a Monk's Cafe or (if you get it where you are) try just about anything by Jolly Pumpkin.

i had Brux a few weeks ago. it had a nice aroma with a very slight funk. the appearance was hazy and very light amber in color. the taste has some spice to it, slight brett funk with a dry finish. it wasnt sour at all. if you want a sour beer that is fairly common try jolly pumpkin.

prpromin said:

The reviews I've read say it isn't very sour - yet. I have a bottle, too, but I'm cellaring it for at least a year. I was going to get 2 bottles, but at 14.00 ea, I decided on just the one. I love sour beers, FWIW. I think Brux at this age would probably be a good intro. Alternatively, you could do a Monk's Cafe or (if you get it where you are) try just about anything by Jolly Pumpkin.

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Yeah, we're running ours at $15.99 just because our distributors are a bunch of d0uches, but I'm still kind of intrigued.

Since you are in CA, drink any of the Russian River sours.

If you want a mild starter sour try Zoetzuur by DeProef. It's less acidic than Monks or LaRoja. It's tart and woody with mild cherry.



Lost Abbey Red Poppy is a good one, but spendy. Same for Cuvee de Tomme

I'm going to prolly try this tonight and pitch the dregs into a batch to put away for a year.. trying to get sum tart pie cherries to rack onto and add a couple cubes of oak..

I heard the brett beer by new belgium got pasteurized. A bit off topic but If you want one of those, don't age it, drink it up.

When you say that you've had a framboise and couldn't stand it, would that perhaps be Lindeman's framboise? Because that beer is nothing like a genuine framboise. RR will be selling their for breast cancer awareness month soon, and it is excellent.

If you can still find it, I personally enjoy DFH Festina Peche. No Brett in it just lacto though. I had Brux a few nights ago and it had more funk than sour.

I second trying Monk's Sour (Edmanster, I thought that was pasteurized?) and I also recommend flanders de bourgogne. In my area those both go for about $15/4-pack (330mL bottles). If you can get any of the Crooked Stave beers, they seem more funky than sour to me (the guava petite sour in particular).

blizzard said:

I second trying Monk's Sour (Edmanster, I thought that was pasteurized?) and I also recommend flanders de bourgogne. In my area those both go for about $15/4-pack (330mL bottles). If you can get any of the Crooked Stave beers, they seem more funky than sour to me (the guava petite sour in particular).

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http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2010/06/harvesting-sour-beer-bottle-dregs.html?m=1
*Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.**– Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale
it's alive

Brouwerij Bavik Petrus Aged Pale Ale and Oud Bruin. Very nice sours in my limited experience and pretty afordable here ~10$ 750 ml.

I drank a monks cafe and a petrus(saving the dregs) last week. Their good but have a very vinegar like sourness. Just thought I'd share that if you go to try them.

we don't get anything exotic here in utah unless you go to the bayou (local beer bar) and pay through the nose but our local micro squatters brews my favorite "fifth element" farmhouse ale.. I'm limited with my sour knowledge but will give sum feedback on the flanders when I crack it.. looking like tomorrow

edmanster said:

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2010/06/harvesting-sour-beer-bottle-dregs.html?m=1
*Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.**– Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale
it's alive

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So many wasted opportunities!!!

MisterTipsy said:

Since you are in CA, drink any of the Russian River sours.

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Sadly I'm in one of the few counties in CA (San Luis Obispo) that has slim to nil on RR stuff, and I've been pushing our distributors to work on contracts with them. I almost blew a fuse seeing their tent at the Firestone Invitational in June, and I actually did blow a fuse when they brought out an unannounced keg of Elder...

KeyWestBrewing said:

I drank a monks cafe and a petrus(saving the dregs) last week. Their good but have a very vinegar like sourness. Just thought I'd share that if you go to try them.

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Yes, Monks is definitely vinegary and JP LaRoja is more vinegary than Monks.

This is the cheapest sour I've ever had. I think it was $4 a bomber. It might only be available in CA.



It gets mixed reviews from beer snobs probably because it's cheap. I tried it once and thought it was decent and would drink it again. It's less sour than Monks.

Hermitage One door Ale (8%) - probably the best bang for the buck Flemish Red in the USA

I've almost bought One Door stuff several times in Bevmo and I always end up leaving it on the shelf because it's so cheap. I'll actually grab it next time I'm in. OP, make it a point to track down the RR sours. They're worth the effort. Your Bevmo has the Monk's Cafe that's been mentioned in this thread. They also carry Saison Imperiale, which is a saison finished with Brett I had the other day. Not sour or tart, but a really nice funk note similar to Brux.

I'm guessing the Framboise you had was one of the Lindemanns or the like, which is a cloyingly sweet version not typical to sours. If you look at the BJCP guidelines for fruit lambic they even say if it's a sweet version similar to Lindemanns you should enter it as specialty since it isn't true to style.

It's a common misconception that Brett creates sour beers. It doesn't. It produces some acid to make a beer mildly tart, but so does regular brewer's yeast. To make a beer sour, you need bacteria, not yeast. The most common ones are various species of lactobacillus and pediococcus. Others play a subordinate role.

Brux is not a sour beer. It's a slightly tart Brett beer that vaguely resembles some of the qualities Orval has.

I had two "new to me" sours today. Both of them were delicious.



Jolly Pumpkin Sobrehumano - a collaboration with Maui brewing featuring Michigan cherries and Hawaiian passionfruit with mild notes of pineapple and toasted coconut. Not a super intense sour. Relatively mild, but it was a pleasure to drink.



The Bruery Oude Tart. This tastes like a homebrewed American Flanders and I mean that in a very good way. Robust and perfect sourness for me. Bold flavors. Good Lord, they used Caravienne and Crystal in this Flanders, someone alert the BJCP!