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Editorial Dept.'s picture

Top 61 Sour Beers

Popular sour beers include Berliner weisse, gose, Flanders red ale, oud bruin and lambic. Enjoy The Beer Connoisseur's highest-rated sour beers of all-time as independently reviewed by expert beer judges for the publication's Official Review!

Top 61 Sour Beers

Sour beers have become one of the most important segments of craft beer. Though their illustrious and colorful history encompasses centuries of beer-making, they only recently became widely popular for mainstream craft beer drinkers.

Myriad styles of sour beers are available on the market these days, as lighter styles like Gose and Berliner Weisse have exploded in popularity due to their refreshing tartness and quenching, low-ABV alcohol content.

Belgian-style sour beers like Flanders Red Ale and Oud Bruin, while not quite as widely imbibed as their lighter German counterparts, feature higher alcohol content and heavier malt bills – as well as more complexity and incomparable mouth-puckering sourness.

Also available are the ever-popular Fruit Lambics, which are usually highlighted by Framboise (brewed with raspberries) and Kriek (brewed with cherries). However, as with all modern craft beer, there is plenty of room for innovation and experimentation, as Fruit Lambics can be brewed with any type of fruit – from mango to pawpaw.

So read on, and enjoy the Top 58 Sour Beers The Beer Connoisseur has ever reviewed!

(Disclaimer: This list only represents beers that have been reviewed by our panel of judges and does not represent every sour beer ever brewed. We think that would be almost impossible.)


#61

Twain Upland Brewing Co.

94
by Richard Wong
Twain
Upland Brewing Co.

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#60

Pinot Fresa Angle City Brewery

94
by Randy Scorby
Pinot Fresa
Angle City Brewery

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#59

Modern Tart Upland Brewing Co.

94
by Dan Martich
Modern Tart
Upland Brewing Co.

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#58

Currant Events Monday Night Brewing

94
by Michael Bury
Currant Events
Monday Night Brewing

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#57

Westbrook Gose Sour Beer

94
by Rodney Tillinghast
Westbrook Gose
Westbrook Brewing Co.

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#56

The Keel Sour Beer

94
by Sandy Cockerham
The Keel
Cape May Brewing Co.

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The first of three entrants on this list from Cape May Brewing Co. in New Jersey, this stunning sour from the brewery’s barrel-aged “Stow Away Series” features a clean lactic sourness coupled with notes of dried plums, white grapes and a hint of oak from the barrel. Delightfully complex.


#55

Cuvée des Jacobins Prestige Sour Beer
94

bxy Jim Koebel
Cuvée des Jacobins Prestige
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste

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#54

Entwined Upland Brewing Co.

94
by Joseph Formanek
Entwined
Upland Brewing Co.

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#53

Snozzberry Sour Beer

94
by Jason Johnson
Snozzberry
Green Man Brewery

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#52

Fermata Olde Mother Brewing Co.

94 
by Michael Bury
Fermata
Olde Mother Brewing Co.

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#51

Snozzberry Sour Beer

94
by Jason Johnson
VanderGhinste Oud Bruin
Brouwerij Omer VanderGhinste

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Debuting over 125 years ago, this gold standard in brewing from Belgium’s Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste is as flawless a rendition in the Oud Bruin style as can be found. A pleasant sourness in this creamy Oud Bruin balances well with a hefty malt backbone and subtle stone fruit flavors.


#50

Incorrigible Sour Beer

94 
by Richard Wong
Incorrigible
New Holland Brewing Co.

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#49

Jammer Sixpoint Brewery

94
by Rick Franckhauser
Jammer
Sixpoint Brewery

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#48

apple crumble miel brewery taproom

94
by Joseph Formanek
Apple Crumble
Miel Brewery & Taproom

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#47

Dryades Sour Beer

94
by Michael Heniff
Dryades
NOLA Brewing Company

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#46

Kiss From A Gose Sour Beer

94
by Susan Ruud
Kiss From A Gose
Peace Tree Brewing Co.

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This incredibly named Gose from Peace Tree Brewing in Knoxville, Iowa is the highest-rated Gose on our list – and with good reason. Wheaty and floral with the typical Gose sweet-and-salty tanginess, this one definitely gets our “seal” of approval.


 

#45

Cuvée René Brouwerij Lindemans

94
by BC Review
Cuvée René
Brouwerij Lindemans

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#44

Fruitopia Berliner Weisse Garage Brewing Co.

94
by Joseph Formanek
Fruitopia Berliner Weisse
Garage Brewing Co.

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#43

LMN ADE Wild Leap Brew Co.

94
by Sean Coughlin
LMN ADE
Wild Leap Brew Co.

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#42

Black Raspberry Lambic Area Two Experimental Brewing

94
by Michael Heniff
Black Raspberry Lambic
Area Two Experimental Brewing

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#41
White Angel Wicked Weed Brewing

94 
by Owen Ogletree
White Angel
Wicked Weed Brewing

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#40

Oak & White Upland Brewing Co.

95
by Jim Koebel
Oak & White
Upland Brewing Co.

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#39

Red Poppy The Lost Abbey

95
by BC Review
Red Poppy
The Lost Abbey

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#38

The Discreet Charm of the Framboisie Brooklyn Brewery

95
by Rodney Tillinghast
The Discreet Charm of the Framboisie
Brooklyn Brewery

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Named after the Academy Award-winning surrealistic film from Spanish director Luis Bunuel, this deliciously subtle Fruit Lambic from Brooklyn Brewery is one of the brewery’s famed 750-mL limited releases. Featuring gorgeous hits of raspberry and pleasing sourness throughout, this one is sure to do more than discreetly charm any sour beer fans.


#37

Monk's Café Sour Flemish Ale Brouwerij Van Steenberge

95
by BC Review
Monk's Café Sour Flemish Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge

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#36

pFriem Flanders Blonde pFriem Family Brewers

95
by Pat Mulloy
pFriem Flanders Blonde
pFriem Family Brewers

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#35

Pawpaw Upland Brewing Co.

95
by Joe Formanek
Pawpaw
Upland Brewing Co.

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#34

Nectarine Golden Ale pFriem Family Brewers

95
by John C. Tull
Nectarine Golden Ale
pFriem Family Brewers

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#33

Cherry Upland Brewing Co.

95
by Pat Mulloy
Cherry
Upland Brewing Co.

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#32

Atrial Rubicite Jester King Brewery
95
by John C. Tull
Atrial Rubicite
Jester King Brewery

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The first of three Jester King beers on this list, Atrial Rubicite is perhaps the Austin, Texas brewery’s best-known creation. Intensely sour with funky elements and a predominant raspberry aroma and flavor, this flawless Fruit Lambic hits all the right spots for fruited sour beers. 


#31

The Scupper Cape May Brewing Co.

95
by Pat Mulloy
The Scupper
Cape May Brewing Co.

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#30
Frightened Baby Chipmunk Call to Arms Brewing Co.

95
by Michael Bury
Frightened Baby Chipmunk
Call to Arms Brewing Co.

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Another excellently named concoction, Call to Arms Brewing in Denver, Colorado delivered a stellar Belgian-style sour beer with interesting intermingled wild elements, fruit characteristics atop a simple grain bill with very little hop incursions.


#29

Rhymes With Purple Bhramari Brewing Co.

95
by Joseph Formanek
Rhymes With Purple
Bhramari Brewing Co.

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#28
La Folie New Belgium Brewing Company

95
by Jason Johnson
La Folie
New Belgium Brewing Company

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#27

Temporarily Permanent Cape May Brewing Co.

95
by Rick Franckhauser
Temporarily Permanent
Cape May Brewing Co.

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#26

Jam Up the Mash Collective Arts Brewing

95
by Randy Scorby
Jam Up the Mash
Collective Arts Brewing

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#25

Mango Margarita Gose Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.

95
by Randy Scorby
Mango Margarita Gose
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co.

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#24

Beatitude Mango Council Brewing Co.

95
by Richard Wong
Beatitude Mango
Council Brewing Co.

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When discussing Fruit Lambics, the usual options are Kriek (brewed with cherries) or Framboise (brewed with raspberries). Council Brewing Co. out of San Diego turned those nose up at this standard ingredients and decide a Mango Fruit Lambic was just what the world needed – according to our judge, they were not wrong.


#23

pFriem Oud Bruin pFriem Family Brewers

96
by Susan Ruud
pFriem Oud Bruin
pFriem Family Brewers

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#22

Malefactor Upland Brewing Co.

96
by Joseph Formanek
Malefactor
Upland Brewing Co.

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This Flanders Red from Bloomington, Indiana’s Upland Brewing Co. was aged in bourbon barrels that previously housed beer. Funky, fruity and complex, this sour beer is truly a delight to the senses from start to finish. 


 

#21

Vintage 2013 Brouwerij Rodenbach

96
by Jason Johnson
Vintage 2013
Brouwerij Rodenbach

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#20

Tartanium Berliner Weisse Grist Brewing Co.

96
by Michael Heniff
Tartanium Berliner Weisse
Grist Brewing Co.

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#19

Brouwer's 14th Anniversary pFriem Family Brewers

96
by Michael Heniff
Brouwer's 14th Anniversary
pFriem Family Brewers

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#18

timmermans framboise lambicus brouwerij timmermans

96
by Richard Wong
Timmermans Framboise Lambicus
Brouwerij Timmermans

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#17

Expletus Avery Brewing Co.

96
by Tracy Hensley
Expletus
Avery Brewing Co.

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Avery Brewing’s Barrel Aged Series is one of the most preeminent throughout all of craft beer. Though their extensive barrel collection is frequently used to craft mammoth barrel-aged stouts and porters, Expletus takes a more interesting and lesser ABV approach. A cherry-infused sour ale aged in tequila barrels, this zesty, tart, fruity brew is tantalizingly desirable. 


#16

Sonoma Tart Bear Republic Brewing Co.

96
by Randy Scorby
Sonoma Tart
Bear Republic Brewing Co.

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#15

Goudenband Brouwerij Liefmans

96
by BC Review
Goudenband
Brouwerij Liefmans

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#14

pFriem Oude Kriek pFriem Family Brewers

96
by Rick Franckhauser
pFriem Oude Kriek
pFriem Family Brewers

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#13

Cursed Kettles Upland Brewing Co. & Prairie Artisan Ales

96
by Sean Coughlin
Cursed Kettles
Upland Brewing Co. & Prairie Artisan Ales

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#12

Oak Barrel Aged Flanders Red Ale Moody Tongue Brewing Co.

96
by John C. Tull
Oak Barrel Aged Flanders Red Ale
Moody Tongue Brewing Co.

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#11
Fruitage by Brouwerij Rodenbach

96
by James Link
Fruitage
Brouwerij Rodenbach

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Rodenbach’s first-ever canned beer (and one of four Roedenbach sours on this list) was a tremendous success in the U.S. and with good reason – as one of the highest-scoring beers of 2017, Rodenbach’s fruited dark sour beer was complex, lightly sweet and easily transportable. It also marked a terrific counterpoint to all the lighter summer sours that wanted to glom onto the “summer beer” trend.


#10
Boxer's Revenge Jester King Brewery

97
by Susan Ruud
Boxer's Revenge
Jester King Brewery 

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#9

Rodenbach Vintage 2015 Brouwerij Rodenbach

97
by James Link
Rodenbach Vintage 2015
Brouwerij Rodenbach

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#8

Alexander Brouwerij Rodenbach

97
by Jason Johnson
Alexander
Brouwerij Rodenbach

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An amazing rendition of a Flanders Red Ale, Rodenbach’s Alexander has only been brewed twice in history – the last time being 1999. A blend of 2/3rd Rodenbach aged two years in oak foeders and 1/3 young ale, this incredible brewing achievement features an intricate interplay of fruitiness, sourness and woodiness. An astonishing sour from one of the best sour beer breweries on the planet.


#7

Ol' Oi Jester King Brewery

97
by Susan Ruud
Ol' Oi
Jester King Brewery

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#6

Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red DESTIHL Brewery
97

by Josh Weikert
Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red
DESTIHL Brewery

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Flanders Red Ales are almost always bottled as opposed to canned, but that didn’t stop DESTIHL Brewery in Illinois from making one of our highest-rated sour beers of all time with its Wild Sour Series rendition of this traditional Belgian style. Sharp lactic sourness coupled and caramel and biscuit malts match up beautifully with bright fruit notes and a dry, wine-like finish. A striking sour beer in a strikingly designed beer can.


#5

Oude Geuze Boon Brouwerij Boon

98
by Jim Koebel
Oude Geuze Boon
Brouwerij Boon

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Our highest-rated beer of 2015 is the gold standard when it comes to the Gueuze style. Brouwerij Boon has long dominated the field when it comes to sour beers, and this transcendent rendition of the true “champagne of beers,” is a wonderful example of that brewing excellence.


#4

 

timmermans lambicus blanche brouwerij timmermans

98
by Richard Wong
Timmermans Lambicus Blanche
Brouwerij Timmermans

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The highest-scoring sour beer we reviewed in 2022, this terrific lambic is actually an extremely interesting and flavorful combination of an aged lambic with a malted wheat beer – providing an “array of complex flavors that was light, subtle and utterly beguiling,” per our judge.


#3

The Topsail Cape May Brewing Co.

98
by Dan Martich
The Topsail
Cape May Brewing Co.

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Our top-rated beer of 2017 lives up to the hype and is the last of three sour beers from Cape May Brewing Co. on this list. An inviting aroma emits myriad scents of ripe pineapple, red apples, mangoes and ripe pears, and its flavor strikes a perfect chord between sourness and fruitiness. A refreshing sour beer that would pair well with chargrilled vegetables, a fruit plate or white-meat fish.


#2

Hanssens Oude Kriek Hanssens Artisanaal

99
by BC Review
Hanssens Oude Kriek
Hanssens Artisanaal

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This incredible Kriek from Hanssens Artisanaal in Belgium wafts aromas of ripe cherry, almonds and faint sourness after pouring a rusty, reddish-brown color. According to our review, this sour beer is “undoubtedly an epic brew that any self-respecting beer connoisseur should take great pains to acquire.” Sounds about right.


#1

Frambozen pFriem Family Brewers

99
by John C. Tull
Frambozen
pFriem Family Brewers

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Here it is, our highest-rated sour beer of all time. pFriem Family Brewers in craft beer-soaked Hood River, Oregon hit the jackpot with this raspberry-infused sour, and the incredible balance between luscious raspberry flavors and complex sourness from wild yeast make this a truly world-class Fruit Lambic. If you can find this sour, don’t hesitate to get one to try immediately and one to age indefinitely. A masterclass in sour beer brewing.

 

Comments

Pags's picture
These kinds of lists are subjective and as such somewhat immune from critcism. Still any list of best sour beers without beers from Tilquin, Drie Fonteinen or Cantillon is diffucult to take seriously. Gentlepeople, back to the drawing board!
Editorial Dept.'s picture
Hi Pags, Thanks for your comment! As the disclaimer says in the introduction, this list only represents beers that our judges have reviewed in our Official Review. As such, there are a huge number of world-class sours not featured here because our judges have not reviewed them.