On tap at Ambulance, eye-squinting amber-coppered sour ale boosts oaken cherry tartness above cider-like balsamic vinegaring and lemon-juiced green grape esters. Syrupy Italian Amarena cherries bring bitter acidity to the fore while light caramel malting offers distant sweetness.
Tag Archives: sour ale
ITHACA CRANBRETTY
BEAR REPUBLIC CUVEE BUBBA WILD ALE
On tap at Ambulance, inviting oak-aged sour ale brings mildly vinous wining to dry barnyard leathering and ‘cherry pie’ souring, maintaining large head retention. Tannic grape pucker never gets oppressive, allowing crossover possibilities for more mainstream thirsts. Dark purple grape-skinned pinot noir tones scurry across pinkish blush rosé snips and black grape-skinned zinfandel notions as well as tart plum, quince and berry wisps.
BOULEVARD TELL-TALE TART
JOLLY PUMPKIN FORGOTTEN TALES OF THE LAST GYPSY BLENDER (SERIES 1 VOL. 1)
Approachable oak-aged sour ale brewed in collaboration with famed Kansas City chef (circa 2015) proves fruitful. Sweet ‘n soured mango and tamarind adjuncts pick up tart Granny Smith apple pucker, oaken cherry subtlety, spicy mustard twang and raspberry vinaigrette smidge above musty earthen yeast fungi. Lime-dried papaya, pineapple, peach and guava nuances waver. Elegant soft-toned moderation will appeal to expansive mainstream thrists as well as less restrictive sour heads.
ALLAGASH GOLDEN BRETT ALE AGED IN OAK BARRELS
On tap at Growler & Gill, light-bodied golden ale brings sour brettanomyces yeast funk to oak-parched lemon souring and soft hop bittering. Yellow grapefruit, apricot and fig fruiting picks up light green grape vinegaring. Polite red wheat malting creates thin bread crust base.
ANDERSON VALLEY ROSY BARL SOUR ALE
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead, polite Chardonnay-soured Bahl Hornin’ Mowkeef Saison uses wild yeast to accentuate dry white-wined vinegaring, lemony limestone acridity and oaken vanilla phenols. At mouth-puckering finish, lilting rosé and pinot gris illusions as well as tertiary raspberry-cranberry tartness pickup hay-seeded barnyard rusticity.
CATSKILL FREAK TRACTOR SOUR (MODEL #1)
Approachable wild ale brings light brettanomyces funk to sour green grape and Granny Smith apple pucker. Delicate mango, guava and papaya tartness hidden by earthen barnyard astringency (and light herbal touch). Sugared malt spicing, usually lacking in sour ales, provides mild contrast. Easygoing crossover will please lighter conventional ale thirsts since the acidic sourness is never overdone.
BACCHUS INDIGENOUS
On tap at Ambulance, delicate wild ale spontaneously soured with Seyval Blanc white grapes in red wine barrels retains soft-toned nature despite terse mouth-puckering acidity. Sour grape esters settle beside lemon-juiced cherry vinaigrette and Granny Smith apple tartness. Briny sea salting increases sharp sourness at wispy white-wined finish.
ALVINNE PHI SOUR ALE
Lactic amber-cleared wild ale spreads acidic orange-soured lemon rot across white-wined vinegaring and herbal whims. Green grape tartness and raspberry vinaigrette bittering influence sharp citric facade. Rustic earthen compost waft picks up horse-blanketed hay, alfalfa and barnyard mustiness. Nowhere near as good as brewers’ sterling Omega.
ALLAGASH SESSION BRETT ALE
On tap at Ambulance Brew House, soft Mosaic hop tropicalia traipses thru leathery brettanomyces-soured wild ale for truly sessionable light-bodied experience. Tart lemon and herbal lemongrass illusions pace the front end, picking up cologne-perfumed mango, guava, pineapple and papaya snips. Misty lemon zest freshness caresses the citric finish. Compost-wafted hay, straw and afalfa seep into the wispy mix.
ALVINNE OMEGA BLOND SOUR ALE
Uncompromising ‘blond sour ale’ (at 6% ABV) goes the distance with its wide-ranged stylistic profile. Aged in stainless steel for a cleanly crisp lemon-limed salting, its dried hop flowers bring out vinous white grape, hard cider, mustard seed and limestone illusions to complement the dry lemon rind midst. Stylish leathery brettanomyces funk picks up light acidic burn and hot peppery respite at tartly juiced citrus finish.