What Did You Drink Last Night?

[ShortAndCashed]

Ghost train kaleidoscope sour. Very interesting, and pretty decent...

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[Fading Fast]

Ghost train kaleidoscope sour. Very interesting, and pretty decent...

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My one general complaint with beer (which has never stopped me from consuming my more than fair share) is that it can have an unpleasant bitter or sour note if its natural bitter / sourness isn't harmonized well with the beer's overall taste. Hence, I'm curious, how does a beer brewed for sourness taste? Is it outright sour and its fans want that or is it more complex with the sourness just being a flavor tilt that enhances the overall impact?

 

[ShortAndCashed]

My one general complaint with beer (which has never stopped me from consuming my more than fair share) is that it can have an unpleasant bitter or sour note if its natural bitter / sourness isn't harmonized well with the beer's overall taste. Hence, I'm curious, how does a beer brewed for sourness taste? Is it outright sour and its fans want that or is it more complex with the sourness just being a flavor tilt that enhances the overall impact?

There are many different types of sours. I enjoy most of them, but it's a really different type of beer. Most sours tend to be in the low to moderate hop levels, and many tend to be a heavier beer, specifically the Belgian varieties, which have some sourness from the yeast, and more from the "bug". The bug responsible for souring a beer is one of a few types of a "wild" yeast, the main two seen in production beers are shortened to "brett" and "lacto", and sometimes will even be listed on the packaging. It is intended to add, balance, or enhance the flavors of the beer itself, not to mask a cheaper beer, or a poorly made beer. Sours tend, also, to be a bit sweeter than others (although I'm unsure of the reasons for that), which balances the sourness to be more reminiscent of a pit or citrus fruit than a ruined grain product. Many are also brewed with other asjuncts, such as fruit puree or citrus peel, to enhance an actual fruit flavor. The ghost train sour that I had last night was rated as 6.2 ibu, which is absurdly low, and was finished on berries, which almost made it soda-like in some ways, but the sourness came through to define it's profile. If you've not tried a true sour, I'd definitely suggest searching out a few decent ones.

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[Fading Fast]

There are many different types of sours. I enjoy most of them, but it's a really different type of beer. Most sours tend to be in the low to moderate hop levels, and many tend to be a heavier beer, specifically the Belgian varieties, which have some sourness from the yeast, and more from the "bug". The bug responsible for souring a beer is one of a few types of a "wild" yeast, the main two seen in production beers are shortened to "brett" and "lacto", and sometimes will even be listed on the packaging. It is intended to add, balance, or enhance the flavors of the beer itself, not to mask a cheaper beer, or a poorly made beer. Sours tend, also, to be a bit sweeter than others (although I'm unsure of the reasons for that), which balances the sourness to be more reminiscent of a pit or citrus fruit than a ruined grain product. Many are also brewed with other asjuncts, such as fruit puree or citrus peel, to enhance an actual fruit flavor. The ghost train sour that I had last night was rated as 6.2 ibu, which is absurdly low, and was finished on berries, which almost made it soda-like in some ways, but the sourness came through to define it's profile. If you've not tried a true sour, I'd definitely suggest searching out a few decent ones.

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Fantastic, interesting and detailed response - thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort.

Upping the sweet to counter the sour makes sense to me as my girlfriend is a baker and she plays with that duality in her baked goods all the time.

You've encouraged me - I'll hunt a true sour beer out to try.

 

[ShortAndCashed]

If you're in the southeast, PM me, I can recommend a few fantastic things only available here. Most of the best sours I've ever had are from smaller breweries and are limited releases. Tank 7 also makes a Brett Saison from time to time. Worth every bit of effort finding it, in my opinion.

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[Seb Lucas]

Peppermint tea with honey.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I'll hunt a true sour beer out to try.

You'll have better luck finding sours in the hot summer time.

Tonight it's opening a new bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 for me!

 

[BobHufford]

Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey...neat.

 

[Bushman]

A winter white cosmo. It was delicious!

 

[Fading Fast]

A winter white cosmo. It was delicious!

Was not familiar with the "winter white" version so I looked it up and it sounds good (Cointreau and lime juice is a heck of a good start). That said, Carrie Bradshaw and that entire annoying crew killed cosmos for me for ever.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Dos Equis Lager with a pot of chili & Jalapeño cornbread during the Super Bowl.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Killing off some Balvenie Doublewood tonight.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I missed Granite Cities tapping party last wk for their KD's Gone Coco Stout so I tried a sample tonight...not my thing! So I ended up having 2-3 Bennie German Bocks. Who's counting?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Knob Creek Single Barrel 120 served neat tonight.

 

[Fading Fast]

I missed Granite Cities tapping party last wk for their KD's Gone Coco Stout so I tried a sample tonight...not my thing! So I ended up having 2-3 Bennie German Bocks. Who's counting?

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Great example of how the enjoyment of food and drink is about more than taste. There is a visual aesthetic that is part of the experience. Obviously, I have no idea how that stout tastes, but that is such a handsome looking mug of it - attractive glass, dark rich color to the stout, thick perfect head - that I'm dying to try it. I'd want to let it sit in front of me for a minute or two before drinking just to enjoy its attractiveness and to build anticipation.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Great example of how the enjoyment of food and drink is about more than taste. There is a visual aesthetic that is part of the experience. Obviously, I have no idea how that stout tastes, but that is such a handsome looking mug of it - attractive glass, dark rich color to the stout, thick perfect head - that I'm dying to try it. I'd want to let it sit in front of me for a minute or two before drinking just to enjoy its attractiveness and to build anticipation.

A good barkeep can make all the difference in the drawing of it also.

Nothing like the aroma & taste of a good whiskey once you learn to drink it straight & out of a tulip glass or sifter.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Another pretty draw from a great barkeep. KC Bier CO's Dunkel, a German style Lager.

Watching a little golf...a little Olympics.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I decided to go a night without drinking.

 

[dh66]

Sunny D and vodka.

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[Hurricane Jack]

Another pretty draw of The Bennie @ Granite City. Never noticed the red tinsel decorations, I guess for Valentine's Day.