Best Sours?

[McMalty]

I'm relatively new to sours, they're great, but not so readily available, so I'd like to get a benchmark for what's good and what's not. What's your favorite commercial sour(s) and why?

 

[z987k]

Duchess de Bourgogne
Monk's Cafe.
Bacchus Red Flemish Ale

 

[cervezarara]

Personally, I love a classic gueuze. They tend to be very dry with a slight barnyard flavor and mouth puckering sourness. You may have to search, but there are a few available in the US. The most common is Lindemans Cuvée René, which is traditional, whereas the Lindemans fruit guezes tend to be sweetened alco-pops.

Cantillon is among the best. Drie Fonteinen is very good. Hanssens Oude Gueuze and Kriek are fantastic.

I have not found Boon gueuze in Ohio, but it may be the best. Boon Mariage Parfait is heaven in a bottle. Girardin 1882 black label is great if you can find it.

i have recently found Tilquin near me. It is a new blender showing a lot of promise.

If you can fing Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella, this is a Lambic and not a blend like Gueuze. What a treat, and very rare as lambics are not often bottled, but served on cask.

See what you can find and what you like!

 

[dougdecinces]

I've only had about 4-5 so far, but no two favorites were Lindeman's Cuvee Rene' (a real lambic, not that backsweetened stuff) and the Duchesse. I love the up-front mouth-puckering tartness you get from Cuvee Rene`. It does not mess around. Duchesse has an intoxicating aroma (balsamic and cherries mostly) and just plain tastes great. If the Duchesse were real, I would run away with her.

 

[jvlpdillon]

Some great beer's have been mentioned.

As you are on the East Coast you may have a hard time sourcing Russian River, but the entire lineup is good. Supplication is my perfect favorite.

Jolly Pumpkin makes some great sours too. They are based out of Michigan so maybe a bit easier to find. Look for La Roja.

If you want to learn to brew sours look for the book Wild Brews, and read this blog: http://www.themadfermentationist.com/ don't forget the Lambic and Wild forum.

 

[zepolmot]

+1 for RR's sours, i'm a fan of consecration

 

[stubbornman]

Supplication is my perfect favorite.

Mine too.

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

Mine too.

I third this. To date, the best American sour I've had, easily.

 

[TopherM]

I'm relatively new to sours, they're great, but not so readily available

I don't know about Maryland, but here in Florida they have Lindemann's Lambics, Krieks, and Framboise sours at almost every liquor store in town. That's a pretty good place to start.

I see you have a ABC, BevMo, and Total Wine close to Lisbon, I guarantee they have several examples of other sours as well. Other common sour styles include Gueuze, Faro, Pecheresse, Cuvee Rene, and Cassis. No one is going to really advertise their beer as "Sour" as this is a bad marketing technique. Look for beers marked with these styles....they are most often packaged in 375ml or 750ml wine bottles.

 

[ArtVandelay]

I third this. To date, the best American sour I've had, easily.

I think its appropriate to 4th this. It's that good (RR supplication)

 

[dcHokie]

The most common is Lindemans Cuvée René, which is traditional, whereas the Lindemans fruit guezes tend to be sweetened alco-pops.

Lindeman's Cuvee Rene' (a real lambic, not that backsweetened stuff)

Not to go too off-topic here, but wasn't there a big flap a couple years ago about Cuvee Rene having Acesulfame K (artificial sweetener) added but not disclosed on the label? I don't know all the details, but I seem to recall an importer stopped distributing Lindemans in the US because of the labeling issue and there being some degree of uncertainty as to whether the Cuvee Rene was or wasn't backsweetened (similar to the rest of Lindeman's product). Don't quote me on this...

 

[remilard]

Not to go too off-topic here, but wasn't there a big flap a couple years ago about Cuvee Rene having Acesulfame K (artificial sweetener) added but not disclosed on the label? I don't know all the details, but I seem to recall an importer stopped distributing Lindemans in the US because of the labeling issue and there being some degree of uncertainty as to whether the Cuvee Rene was or wasn't backsweetened (similar to the rest of Lindeman's product). Don't quote me on this...

Cuvee Rene is traditional. Lindemann's products not labeled Cuvee Rene are artificially sweetened.

 

[passedpawn]

RR Consecration
Duchesse
Rodenbach Grand Cru

Don't like Lindemann's lambics, way too sweet for me.

 

[Soma]

Lou Pepe Kriek, Cantillion Gueuze Organic. Life changing. Duchess doesn't do much for me.

 

[TheMan]

Most of the Russian River ones are fantastic....but since your in Maryland I'm assuming those are not going to be easy to obtain.

My favorite is Petrus. Monk's Cafe is delicious as well. Then I'd say Rodenbach Grand Cru.

 

[bh10]

Petrus, Monks Cafe, & Rodenbach.

 

[weirdboy]

Hanssen's Oude Gueuze is darn tasty but pretty tough to get.
3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze is also tough to get but really excellent.

Other than that, I can't contribute much that hasn't already been mentioned except for maybe some Bruery stuff, which although I believe their more "normal" beers are distributed pretty widely, I don't think many of their sours make it to the other coast.

Bruery Oude Tart is one of my favorite sours. Really, really puckering, complex Flemish red.

I used to like Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja a lot, but I think either they have changed their process, or I'm getting unlucky with the bottles now. The last couple I've had weren't nearly the same level of quality that I had experienced previously.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Jolly pumpkin is good stuff but my last bottle had such a major gusher that the entire bottle evacuated all over my ceiling upon opening.

 

[knotquiteawake]

Duchess de Bourgogne

i give a thumbs up on the Duchess. Its the only one I've had but it was pretty good and seems like I can find it in several different places.

 

[RosewaterFoundation]

Jolly pumpkin is good stuff but my last bottle had such a major gusher that the entire bottle evacuated all over my ceiling upon opening.

I've had two bottles from this brewery, and both seemed more infected than "sour."

 

[user 84304]

Anything from Cantillon, Russian River's sour line, Lost Abbey's sour line, Rodenbach is a standard, and anything from Tres Fontaine. Cheers!

 

[Taypo]

We had a Goose Island sour when we were back in Upstate NY a few months back...Dominque maybe? It was damned good!

Monks Cafe and Lindemann's is about all we can find in the DFW metro these days

 

[cram]

+ on the Lost Abbey and Russian River sours. Also, had a Duchess of Bourgogne "Brown Sour" from the tap at Pizza port Solana this week that was outrageously good.

 

[raabs]

3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze is my hands down favorite with Russian River's Supplication in close second. Love that tartness.

 

[moti_mo]

Anybody get a chance to try the Avery Immitis? I think that one is delicious. Limited number of bottles, so I have a couple in my aging fridge.

Can't go wrong with Monk's Cafe or any of the Russian Rivers.

Also love the Jolly Pumpkin sours. In order of my preference: Oro de Calabaza, Luciernaga, La Roja. And yes, they're typically gushers. If you can get them on tap, they're sublime.

 

[user 84304]

3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze is my hands down favorite

+2 Frankly one of the best Gueze's on the market. I'd like to go the Belgium and test that theory, though.

 

[gstrawn]

I'm relatively new to sours, they're great, but not so readily available, so I'd like to get a benchmark for what's good and what's not. What's your favorite commercial sour(s) and why?

well your thread inspired me to try a sour, and i went to the store today. I got duchesse de bourgogne from sugestions from this thread and..... WOW!!! it's amazing. i had never ha a sour, and it really is revolutionary in a way. it is amazing (im drinking it now) I dont know about other sours but duchesse is amazing, and i've seen a whole new genre. great

 

[Spillsaw]

Almost any Cantillion, Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza. And Russian River Beatification are some of my favorites
Once, I was lucky enough to try Lost Abbey Isabella Proximus a few years back. If you ever find it...mail it to me.

 

[cwi]

well your thread inspired me to try a sour, and i went to the store today. I got duchesse de bourgogne from sugestions from this thread and..... WOW!!! it's amazing. i had never ha a sour, and it really is revolutionary in a way. it is amazing (im drinking it now) I dont know about other sours but duchesse is amazing, and i've seen a whole new genre. great

This nonsense needs to stop now. You have obviously been brainwashed by people with unsophisticated palates who are just jumping on the latest "fad" beer craze. Anyone else who is in danger of falling for this sham of "spoiled" beer at high prices, save your money.

And for the rest of you, if I can't get my pucker on because my local joint's keg of nectar (La Folie) has been floated, again, I know where to go looking. Also, darnn you people living in states without f'd up beer importing regs.

 

[Pogopunx82]

Someones a little angry.