“This NW style sour blond ale was barrel aged for 28 months before spending an additional two months on 300+ pounds of Black Cap Raspberries: think Nouveau Beaujolais with raspberries.”
Glassware: Stemmed tulip.
Appearance: Dark ruby red/mahogany colour with a light pink head. Retention is poor as it retreats to the rim but still manages to weave a fine lace down the glass.
Aroma: Divine! It’s like opening up a fresh punnet of raspberries. So tart and juicy. There’s also a hint of fire engine in there…instantly taking us back to our childhood when we were allowed to load up on sugary drinks at restaurants. Love the presence of oak too, gives the aroma that added depth and structure around the lacto sourness. Absolutely brilliant.
Flavour: Where do we start? The progression of flavour is next level. Super sour lacto acidity initially moving to tart raspberry, pomegranate, lemon, blackberry. Lovely oak tannins flowing through. A quick cameo of red wine vinegar before candied raspberry and lemon roll in to a musty/oaky finish which goes the distance on the back palate.
Mouthfeel: Tart, sharp and acidic. Pucker rating hits a full 5/5! Still somewhat light bodied with the 7.1% AbV well buried.
Overall: Holy moly what an absolute ripper of a beer. Been trying to get our hands on this for a while and thank god we finally did. Totally lives up to the hype. Phenomenal drop.