Agreed wholeheartedly, Bret. First taste I had of a sour beer was from NBBC in Ft. Collins. Not knocking the brewery as a whole (in the least, they are superior), but the beer I tasted at Brouwer's in Seattle tasted like pickle juice. Repeat tastings from more seasoned brewers have gone a bit better.
Bret Kimbrough - 15 years ago
Sour beers are a very interesting and unusual part of the brewing world. Flemish browns and reds, like Liefman's Goudenband and Rodenbach, are truly magnificent brews. So are the members of the lambic family. Of course, simply acidifying a beer does not make it a "sour beer". There is an art to making these tart beasts that is lost of many modern brewers. I strongly recommend that those who are looking to familiarize themselves with sour types of beer go straight to the source and get a good Belgian import. Aside from the two labels mentioned about, you can also try a very traditional lambic from Cantillion, including the raspberry infused Rose de Gambrinus, which is tart enough to turn a lemon lime green with envy. In the Belgian brown ale category in also Duchesse du Bourgogne, which has a really compelling balsamic aspect. There are numerous other examples. If you have a beer store near by with a good Belgian aisle, get there and get tasting.
Agreed wholeheartedly, Bret. First taste I had of a sour beer was from NBBC in Ft. Collins. Not knocking the brewery as a whole (in the least, they are superior), but the beer I tasted at Brouwer's in Seattle tasted like pickle juice. Repeat tastings from more seasoned brewers have gone a bit better.
Sour beers are a very interesting and unusual part of the brewing world. Flemish browns and reds, like Liefman's Goudenband and Rodenbach, are truly magnificent brews. So are the members of the lambic family. Of course, simply acidifying a beer does not make it a "sour beer". There is an art to making these tart beasts that is lost of many modern brewers. I strongly recommend that those who are looking to familiarize themselves with sour types of beer go straight to the source and get a good Belgian import. Aside from the two labels mentioned about, you can also try a very traditional lambic from Cantillion, including the raspberry infused Rose de Gambrinus, which is tart enough to turn a lemon lime green with envy. In the Belgian brown ale category in also Duchesse du Bourgogne, which has a really compelling balsamic aspect. There are numerous other examples. If you have a beer store near by with a good Belgian aisle, get there and get tasting.