Briney Melon Gose

This beer pours a slightly hazy golden color with a white head that leaves lingering lace on the side of the glass. The aroma is quite complex, with notes of watermelon heart, lemon, pear, sea salt and bready, grainy wheat with a suggestion of sourdough and coriander. There is a pleasant tartness that also emerges in the aroma. The flavor continues that complexity with a prominent sharp, lactic sourness and fresh watermelon, followed by mixed citrus, pear, sea salt and a light earthiness. The bready, grainy wheat character emerges mid-palate along with a very low, quite complementary hop bitterness. The acidity provides a balancing force to the residual malt sweetness that ends in a fairly dry finish with no alcohol warming. Even if you have been a bit apprehensive about trying a sour beer style in the past, this is a very refreshing beer that may be a catalyst for experimenting with them even more.