Soulive
Well-Known Member
After hearing about sour/infected beers over the past year or so, I'm looking to try some. I'm a noob with this style(s), so can you guys recommend some starting points?
you could just jump in and go with any of the Cantillon beers from Belgium
start with the Lou Peppe Kreik
So the Kreik style is sour?
Kreik is Lambic with cherries. Famboise is Lambic with raspberries. Geueze is unblended lambic.
Gueuze is blended young and aged Lambic.
I know Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa, CA has three soured barrel aged beers called Temptation, Supplication, and Beatification. Not sure you can get them out there, but there are some good sour beers coming out of American craft breweries.
I think Evan! meant unfruited Lambic...
I know where I can get Cantillon and Rodenbach. I definitely have access to Lindeman's but I want the authentic stuff. Are there any American versions?
I believe Allagash has a project going, but I am not sure when their first release is/was/will be?
The Lindeman's, like Evan! mentions is a fair intro because it is readily available. Aside from being extremely sweet, it does have the nice mustiness in it and does have an enjoyable flavor for what it is. But imho, it's not very sour. New Glarus's Raspberry Tart is very similar to the Lineman's Framboise.
The Rodenbach Grand Cru and Cantillon are certainly good places to start, just be open to exploring the flavors.
There used to be a popular beverage called a "Shrub" which is basically water, vinegar, fruit juice or concentrate and some sugar to balance. Serve it on ice on a hot day is supposedly good. Albeit, this is a far cry from a sour beer, it will give you a similar experience to gauge if you are up for the intensity some of these beers have to offer. A coworker cannot see the value in sour beers. Me on the other hand, well I love all sorts of experiences.
Lindemans Pomme (Apple) is a dead ringer for Apple Jolly Ranchers.
Also you might be able to find a Berliner Weiss or a Gose these days. Someone brought a homebrew example to Bobby's (from the Whales Club) when I was there.
These are mildly sour.
Lindemans Pomme (Apple) is a dead ringer for Apple Jolly Ranchers.
Also you might be able to find a Berliner Weiss or a Gose these days. Someone brought a homebrew example to Bobby's (from the Whales Club) when I was there.
These are mildly sour.
Ben, try Rodenbach red. It's really good.
I have a 750ml of Ommegeddon which has Brett in it. I haven't tasted it yet though...
By the way, thanks for introducing me to the Lindemans at Papagos. I've been pushing the apple on all the women who tell me they don't like beer in a snobby absolute tone.
I'm also into new experiences and I don't want to rule any styles if I haven't tried them. I may not like them but I'll give them a good shot...
Cool deal. I was just kind of giving a general "kind of tastes like" thing with the Shrub idea. I guess all in all though, you'd only be out some clams (I can only get these types of singles one place and they are quite costly) so nothing ventured...nothing gained .
Thanks for the info everyone. Now two questions; what should I be looking for when tasting and which cheese goes best with these beers? I'm guessing some funky/infected...
...Are these styles love/hate or are they an acquired taste? I neither love nor hate them so far and I'm intrigued to try others...
Just tried a Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. My first sour. Is this a good representation of what I can expect from other?
IMHO sour ales as a category are as diverse as any other...Granted, there are some generalities you could prb make. . . . . . . On the monks if you had it from the bottle, I found that to be very mild and more focused on the cherry flavoring than the sour end of things.
No one mentioned Jolly Pumpkin yet. they are another american brewery that has some decent sours. Try the La Roja, it is pretty tasty.
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