Judge's Review: 86 Rating - Synopsis Black Currant by Area Two Experimental Brewing

Synopsis Black Currant by Area Two Experimental Brewing​ was judged as a Wild Specialty Beer (28C) with black currant. The black currant aroma is bold, smelling very much like black currant jam, though less intense. A hint of acidity is also detectable in the aroma. The color is garnet with exceptional clarity and very little indication of carbonation (some bubbles releasing when agitated, but no head whatsoever). The sourness is the first thing you notice when you taste it. It is tart from start to finish with significant acidity. The black currant is subtle and masked by the sour character. The sourness comes across as lemon and grapefruit juice, almost puckering. The body is light, and the carbonation, which was not very visible, is present and adequate as more carbonation would only heighten the acidity further. This is an intensely sour beer with quite a lot of acidity. The fruit may have added more tartness, though that could be entirely driven by the fermentation. For me, the main detractor is the lack of complexity. With that said, it is still a good sour ale, particularly if you crave extremely sour examples.