Raspberry Sour

Wild Specialty Beer | Year-Round | United States

By Jim Koebel

Judges Rating: 89
Aroma: 23
Appearance: 4
Flavor: 36
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 18

The high point of this American Wild Ale is its aroma, which consists of a seamless blend of raspberry, sourness, and Brettanomyces character in order of dominance. There is a faint darker malt character, like that found in many examples of Oud Bruin, which adds to the already impressive complexity. This beer’s flavor has a similarly prominent raspberry flavor, but is outdone by a palate-wrenching sourness from start to finish. The sourness is cleanly lactic and almost startling, making it difficult to savor. It is highly carbonated and pours a cloudy brown color with a rapidly collapsing tan head. When this beer warms, the aroma takes on a boozy, wood-aged character and the finish becomes sharper. This is a bold beer that makes many other sours seem tame; many will love it, but it may be a bit much for the uninitiated.