Celebrating Sour Beer Day in Style

Those who follow me regularly know that I spent this year’s Sour Beer Day/Zwanze Day at the 15th Anniversary Party of Dieu du Ciel, but like many more traditional holidays, the friendly gatherings stretched on and the festivities continued!  Thus, a few days later, a visiting sour beer-loving pal, Rob, and Noah, the mastermind behind beerism.ca, joined me for an epic tasting following the festivities.

The Lineup (Note the Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines in the background, brought to the table when my less than two-year old ran in with it excitedly shouting, "Daddio, Daddio" before he went to bed and we cracked the first bottle!)

The night began with Quebec marvel Brasserie Dunham’s excellent Saison Réserve (a 6.5% ABV blend of their Saison Rustique [82% of the blend] and their Leo’s Early Breakfast IPA [the remaining 18%] which was then bottle re-fermented with wild yeast).  The result is something to behold regardless.

My comment that this had such a mountainous rocky head that ants would deem the peaks akin to Everest brought my wife to chuckles (as it should - #shitbeergeekssay), but my first impression was true wonder at this marvel of heady peaks that are unparallelled in my beer drinking experience.  The nose offered some excellent earthy hops notes alongside some barnyard funk, while the taste was lightly sour with a more prevalent barnyard funk, merely negligible traces of the guava and tea, with a more substantial dry lingering earthy hops that blended well with the funkiness.  The carbonation was bold, but not overpowering and I was thrilled to drink this delightful brew.  Grade: A/A+

We then turned to Jolly Pumpkin’s Oro de Calabaza (8% ABV American version of a Biere de Garde). Presenting a moderately cloudy yellow with a fair fizzy white head, this beer didn't immediately appear as noteworthy as the Réserve and, though the least sour of the night, was still a wonderful treat. Moderate barnyard funk notes complemented some floral hops in the aroma, while the taste had some oak noes and a bit of faintly fruity funk, but with an easy drinkability. There was a substantial amount of funk here, but not so much in the way of acidic tart sourness, which showed well with decent prickly carbonation. Sourness isn't the criteria for excellence, however, and this (like all beers that night) was excellent! Grade: A-/A

The Bruery's Sour in the Rye (7.8% ABV American Wild Ale) came next, pouring a decent, if-quickly dwindling head atop an orangish-reddish body. The nose was nicely tart with some woody notes present underlining the balsamic sort of vinegar aroma. It was quite tart with sour candy-ish notes without any of the sweetness. Just a hint of the rye spiciness propped up the tartness adding a decent complexity (to what was already quite nicely complex). This was supported by a fair body and a decent carbonation. Grade: A

Finally, we side-by-sided Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label and Tilquin Oude Gueuze a l’Ancienne.

Separately, these high quality Belgian gueuzes would seem quite similar, but together we could go back and forth highlighting the differences in contrast.

The Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label (5% ABV) poured a lightly cloudy yellow without much head. The nose smelled like a "dusty barnyard" according to Noah, and I couldn't agree more wafting hugely funky aromas from cobwebs, dust, and horse blanket - the whole gamut. Tastewise, it was equally funky and though the Tilquin was too, its funk paled in direct comparison, even if it was probably slightly more acidic. The Girardin, however, offered a very tingly feel with an expressively barnyard-y and leathery lingering finish of noteworthy complexity, with a light-ish body. Grade: A/A+

In juxtaposition Tilquin Oude Gueuze a l’Ancienne (6% ABV) poured an ever-so-slightly darker light amber than the Black Label Girardin and had a slightly more sour nose with just mild fermenting fruity notes discernible. It was very tart and fairly funky, perhaps a touch more tart and a touch less funky than the girardin, with just slight hints of wood and fruit underneath. Medium bodied, with a full tingly carbonation, this was a delicious delight for fans of the funk! Grade: A/A+

All in all, the single best tasting I have ever sat down for in terms of high standard all along! You know when you rank Oro de Calabaza as the lowest of the night, you are in for a real treat!

Mondial Review #5: Strange & Sour Oddities

Some of the gems of Mondial de la Bière fell into odd categories, the first comprising two Flanders Red Ales, a Gueuze, an American Wild and a Bière de Garde, the latter being made up of a Brut, a Chilean spiced beer, and a fruit/spiced beer made with the rare Amazonian fruit called bacuri.  Let's dissect them further.

Sours

Personal Best of the Fest: Brouwerij Rodenbach Grand Cru (6% ABV), a Flanders Red Ale is simply fantastic - if you dig sour!  It pours a light brown with a fine, creamy-beige head of solid retention and lacing.  Aromas are primarily of sour cherries with hints of yeasty spice, and a touch of apple cider vinegar.  It tastes wonderfully sour - like everything that is good about a maraschino cherry without any of the artificially sweet additive notes!  Very sour, but just perfect for the style!  Medium bodied with fair carbonation, it floats smoothly across the tongue and is easy drinking for the style.  Grade: A+


Brouwerij Van Honsenbrouk's St. Louis Geueze Fond Tradition (5% ABV) is also quite pleasant if not legendary.  It pours a beautiful, dark amber with excellent tan head, retention, and lacing.  The aroma is faint and mostly of mildly-spiced yeast, though it is possible my sample came from a long-opened bottle.  The flavour was also fairly mild, sour but not excessively so (or seemingly not at all immediately after the above!) appearing at first mild and tea-like before some sweetly sour traces of a light lemony tartness.  Smooth despite fair carbonation, but perhaps thanks to a light-ish body.  Nice, just mild - perhaps a good intro to the sour for some?  Grade: B+


Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza (8% ABV) was my first Bière de Garde with little frame of reference except what I have read in some books and on websites.  It pours a faintly cloudy golden in colour with little head but nice surface spotting.  There is a fine balance between sweetness and sourness, sort of like a dry wine or champagne, with a sweeter nose that has a touch of sour and a more sour, tart, acidic taste with just a touch of balancing sweetness.  There is a touch of coriander spice and a fairly drying floral hoppy finish.  It is smooth, creamy, and essentially lacks carbonation.  Very interesting and not bad, but just not as desirable for me personally as a true Belgian sour.  Grade: B/B+


Vermont Pub & Brewery's Tulach Leis (6.1% ABV) didn't impress around my crew.  Appearing with a nice amber colour and moderate off-white head of fair retention and lacing, it offered only a faint aroma with only faintly sour notes.  It was far too sour without the complexity of the Rodenbach alongside an unappealing funkiness.  Grade: C+/B-


Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja (7.2% ABV), an American wild ale allegedly in the Flanders tradition, didn't impress as much as those truly Belgian sour offerings.  I can get the appeal here, but also think the style (or this beer) goes a bit far, though with wild yeast who knows what can happen!  It pours a lightly cloudy dark amber that has negligible head (perhaps due to the pouring) at the event.  It offered funky, sweaty, and pear notes predominantly, though funky earthiness is easily the most evident and apt description.  It offers a bitter-sweetness (in that sour candy sort of way) with a peaty and earthy/sweaty flavour of unfiltered wild yeast.  It is tingly and pop-like on the tongue and I didn't find this very fitting with the funkiness, though I could get the appeal of it if it were what you were into.  It isn't the sourness that turns me off, rather it is the funk!  Grade: C+/B-

The Miscellaneous, Unique, and Bizarre

Yes, most of these beers can be categorized in some way, but rather than having three categories of one, I thought I'd go through them here, and rather than listing a 'best of the fest,'  all three deserve a medal type of honour in this catch-all category as all are very noteworthy for a reason!

The Golden Oddity: New Belgium's Lips of Faith Cocoa Molé (9% ABV) is simply amazing - but not if you can't stand a little spicy chili in your beer!  It's a good thing this was my last beer on day one or I might have drank it all day and tried no others (though I started the day with Allagash Curieux and ended just as strongly!).  It pours a golden-tinged dark brown with a nice creamy mocha head, though of negligible retention or lace.  Up front it tastes slightly sweet in chocolate molé way, but just after swallowing a fair chili spiciness kicks back through the palate in a very pleasant manner (unless you're my mother!)  It leaves a nice warming dryness from the chili that just smooths out the sweetness and leaves you me wanting more... and more.  I devoured this glass and tried to get a second only to discover I had finished their selection.  Best spicy beer I have ever tasted!  Grade: A+

The Silver Oddity: Okay, a Bière Brut (Champagne Beer) is not that odd to beer folks, if it is to the public, but they are fairly uncommon and it was the only one I consumed at the fest.  Yet, Microbrasserie Charlevoix graces the review pages again with their Dominus Vobiscum Brut (11% ABV) which I thoroughly enjoyed!  It offers a cloudy golden body beneath a gorgeous foamy, fizzy, white head that settles down fairly quickly leaving a decent lace.  Aromas are of lemon zest and rind as well as some sweeter citrus notes.  Flavourwise, there is a predominance of sweet pear/apple fruitiness with a lightly drying peppery/yeasty spiciness.  Simply delicious - champagne but better!  Grade: A/A+

The Bronze Oddity: Take a wild, rare Amazonian fruit, put it in a Brazilian beer without Canadian distribution and watch me try something I may never taste again.  Make it good and hear me rave about it!  Cervejaria Amazônia was able to do both with their Bacuri Forest (3.8% ABV) which pours a standard pale yellow with a fizzy white head that settles down quickly with just slight lace.  Orange scented hops greets the nose with fainter hints of rind and pine, like a mild IPA.  The citrus notes continue in the mouth but with a sweet lemon presentation that is quite enjoyable indeed and dried out with the citrusy hops.  With low carbonation, light body, and low alcohol, this beer is a smooth-drinking session beer if ever there was one... now to find myself a case for that session...  Grade: A-/A

Well, that's it for beer reviews, stay tuned for my final Mondial wrap-up!