Let's Remember Some Beers (In Memoriam: "Sours")

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yeahnatenelson

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A thread to commemorate the enamel peelers, brett bombs and ruthlessly homered regional sours of yesteryear that have since faded from the craft beer discourse.

I'll start this off with a series that needs no introduction: Upland Lambics!

DSC_0791-e1386005928186-1024x453.jpg


This series had everything:
  • VERY sour
  • Sold via online lottery (.rar-est)
  • Multiple flavors to collect
  • "Modeled" after real lambic
  • From Indiana
I remember a mega-tasting at (I think) dvelcich's place for the full horizontal after Kiwi and Persimmon were first re-brewed. Only a few gushers that day, but the ones that did gush were absolute geysers. The oldest bottle of the bunch, Cherry, was too sour for most of us to finish. IIRC Dan also brought out a bottle of the then-retired Cascade Blackberry.

For real, though: I still go to bat for Sour Reserve.
 
A thread to commemorate the enamel peelers, brett bombs and ruthlessly homered regional sours of yesteryear that have since faded from the craft beer discourse.

I'll start this off with a series that needs no introduction: Upland Lambics!

DSC_0791-e1386005928186-1024x453.jpg


This series had everything:
  • VERY sour
  • Sold via online lottery (.rar-est)
  • Multiple flavors to collect
  • "Modeled" after real lambic
  • From Indiana
I remember a mega-tasting at (I think) dvelcich's place for the full horizontal after Kiwi and Persimmon were first re-brewed. Only a few gushers that day, but the ones that did gush were absolute geysers. The oldest bottle of the bunch, Cherry, was too sour for most of us to finish. IIRC Dan also brought out a bottle of the then-retired Cascade Blackberry.

For real, though: I still go to bat for Sour Reserve.

You already mentioned these in the "main" "Let's Remember Some Beers" thread, but Bruery - Marron Acidifie, ISO FT, Oude Tart and variants.

At that point, I loved the crazy acidic stuff. Now I can barely do a sip.
 
At that point, I loved the crazy acidic stuff. Now I can barely do a sip.

I'm with you. Clearly, sour beers are still a big part of the craft beer landscape but those super puckering oak-aged sour beers and brett-forward beers (mostly sour, but obviously not all) have waned in the discourse, replaced by more subtle beers for those of us that have moved on, and by juicier, sweeter kettle soured beers for newbs.
 
You could order Cascade bottles via their website for some time. **** those Armand Seasons bottle with some Bourbonic Plague could be had.

Hellllllllll yeahhhhhh.

cascade%20bottles%20long.jpg


I'm trying to remember what the whaley, no-webshop Cascade bottles were. I want to say Sang Royale and Figaro?

EDIT: And I want to say that I still love those weird old labels. Cascade came into Chicago distro a little while ago with the new clean, mostly white labels that scream "I am $28 and no fun." Give me a hot pink bottle with peach pits and carbonated battery acid, plz.
 
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Cuvee de Jongleur as well I think. Not sure if Sang Noir was available on the webshop.

Jongleur sounds right. I want to say Sang Rouge/Noir were available online and Royale was not. Couldn't tell you the difference, but if I had to guess the Royale was left a while longer in their signature 5gal barrels for the chef's kiss of ulcerating acidity.
 
Jongleur sounds right. I want to say Sang Rouge/Noir were available online and Royale was not. Couldn't tell you the difference, but if I had to guess the Royale was left a while longer in their signature 5gal barrels for the chef's kiss of ulcerating acidity.

For extra Yoplait character
 
A thread to commemorate the enamel peelers, brett bombs and ruthlessly homered regional sours of yesteryear that have since faded from the craft beer discourse.

I'll start this off with a series that needs no introduction: Upland Lambics!

DSC_0791-e1386005928186-1024x453.jpg


This series had everything:
  • VERY sour
  • Sold via online lottery (.rar-est)
  • Multiple flavors to collect
  • "Modeled" after real lambic
  • From Indiana
I remember a mega-tasting at (I think) dvelcich's place for the full horizontal after Kiwi and Persimmon were first re-brewed. Only a few gushers that day, but the ones that did gush were absolute geysers. The oldest bottle of the bunch, Cherry, was too sour for most of us to finish. IIRC Dan also brought out a bottle of the then-retired Cascade Blackberry.

For real, though: I still go to bat for Sour Reserve.
Strawberry was the one that exploded time and again. To be fair, 2009 to 2011 were pretty damn good batches of nearly everything from them. Original persimmon was freakin fantastic, and I wish I could find something like it today. And I think their current Prim, cardamom and plum sour, is pretty delightful.
 
Everything that Captain Lawrence makes used to cost an arm and a leg for trading and was considered a whale. Now it sits on shelves at local markets.

Cuvee de Castleton
Flaming Fury
Rosso E Marrone

I feel like I'm forgetting something.

That's it, I think: Rosso and CdC were semi-seasonals and Flaming Fury was, for a long while, a one-off wale. I still remember the culture shock of seeing ISO:FT titles including FF but meant Fou'foune.
 
The fruited 375ml sours from Side Project. They’re still popular, but not like when they first hit the scene. People were offering insane beers in trade, and sadly, I bought into the hype. I’d share the picture I took when I drank B1 Fuzzy, but it was so acidic, just being in the proximity of that beer caused my camera to melt.

giphy.gif
 
For me, pretty much everything but the occasional 3f Gueuze and Peche n Brett falls into the forgotten or passed on category. I just can't do the acid anymore.

Looking back to when I could regularly drink sour stuff, the percentage of the beers that really were impressive vs the rest of the average stuff was pretty small, so I don't really miss it.
 
The fruited 375ml sours from Side Project. They’re still popular, but not like when they first hit the scene. People were offering insane beers in trade, and sadly, I bought into the hype. I’d share the picture I took when I drank B1 Fuzzy, but it was so acidic, just being in the proximity of that beer caused my camera to melt.

giphy.gif
I never understood the Fuzzy hype. I mean it was solid for a fruited sour, maybe a little above average.
 
Couldn’t agree more. We did a side by side with NG Wild Peach. New Glarus blew it out of the water.

Also, has anyone mentioned VSB?
VSB was excellent from what I remember. Not sure how I'd do with the acidity now. I don't remember a lot of funk or anything other than fruit.
 
93653.jpg

The first sour that I actively tried to acquire. Buddy with connections at Goose got me two bottles when my first daughter was born almost 6 years ago now. I think the balancing malt in the Flanders Red style made me enjoy that style first of all of the sour styles. Man I miss that beer. It was a stunner. Not sure how much the 25th Anniversary Goose Clybourn Flanders Red got attention nationally but locally folks knew. This was pre Nthulu days. Only one of the series that I had that was better was multiple pours of Pineapple Brettanomite at a muddy Beer Under Glass back in the day.
 
Since our anniversary was yesterday, it makes me think of our trip out east for our 10 year 3 years ago. Got to have this on-site at Hill Farmstead. Six Years was a huge deal for a very short period of time. Can't imagine that it is even worth whale status now. It was already aged nearly 6 years prior to bottling. We're at nearly 10 years now. It was a beautiful tannin/oaky monster with a great flanders like base.
acaca695f5ed35be70a3aff3637c4cba_640x640.jpg
 
Some mentions for brett beers that have either disappeared entirely or are definite shelfturds:

New Belgium's awful brett beer collab with Lost Abbey and the brett peach beer that was only marginally better.

New Belgium's considerably better biere de mars with brett.

Ommegang's biere de mars with brett and Aphrodite.

Green Flash Rayon Vert certain to unload half the bottle on the counter.

Boulevard Saison Brett which is still produced but barely loved.

Stone Enjoy After IPA which I have no idea if they still release it but was actually a great brett beer.
 
All sorts of AWA at my 30th Birthday in 2012.
kb6VztLsxMYNtux_l_NfbyLdSMaEJHqNDiwJYmqEVcqPXIcDRgUR5YZsKXLUtEqD-yABzJq3RcemNs2rA8eu3KlvDVae8B-6XcTywvCBmL0t9G6pZfOdu75V8Q1R4l825YiEOaPDV3kIZfVBDNOCaoEKPA803XVZrJPl77HCpAHmVMgmtg5L57lpjwRss5Cwnn85cvQsQDLVxma9p36gbRujjMpn2naGdGetGpKI980cD10TN0We-FT8b0FfrAnAS93us4c_6tWbLEpS_wBDM1WhwuTa3eiYjbvs96Q5i7FHNOvAjEmbgAljKjEu_wrSfHJ67JbT7FKeVypWrqRlqxkh7rbjxwvX58h7L-oYjeO9i46R-NHGTc2KG1R4TG9repc61uVf3yomQJDcHQNjUZNNcGl0fEZ1KZRcXFCVIQp1I9mmB8A3r9bbO5-CxdM_c1wJkIKQpatPADLmY5wnxCFxoLaQk7SegFCcLeClfuIiZxQjVH42G7h2QWoSPPtks828U7wJe_YW1Ua-RBon9NOtxgOKezZqJ1YOMNl8xBzbGrC0n9qtizzMrROturafmlV2Oc7gBd3wDjowoyzuQj-XRrzk_Q41iBXxXMmj4WjE-V-buqGDwc1DyvoPcmiDjMz86owp3GYeXGekw-EmAM-QKrILZKiV=w800-h626-no

Upright Fantasia
Trinity Old Growth
First batches of 2009 Goose Island Juliet
C&C La Folie vs those pasteurized shells of La Folie
Random Jackie O's "Sour"

A 2013 tasting
hZd7oOXnuv90dEL5PUy_6Puzk5lx3rYI4Nycw2slrufbJigWg_-gkyBY1qruPXxrugGc3fOBOlfyeIWBaL5QaM-byg0DhHNcKzCp9mYKpEyZZ0B0d-TDO68tXjbrgl7p1K9dkxVDNFI6IGEemqkNzj_n019h73J_VpVBUvYOJUcfIIPbIkiI2FpWkyE0_LutH1vG6Q3frvfjCoB7q8BX86h7n21q93Wu4FfC7dIcoL8hpFqwsjb7z3lF9CfO1kENsVyjdGDBfIs9J2pTLFI2G9_cpUB8XctWWmVShLERsBrCdhLzzQu8qMjtSIW8URGcum3lGa2RzQi6S7zDpdCR5K-JHlkCe9LSktcJkmSuvQWZEOWh9HY78UxtiPnzFxAH6KddSDHIzJFp-Fq2WlmNBbIpZTuqzSXZMKjgnfAu2eesJ07tSnCrzjxNIlmTzgP9SBaIS0dWL6p-VLpbHlUUtPSfNeffqLFe3xaWPNQg5aqsXNK4bp1Osvol1KgUdgOOE4QxAkPFRG_DhwddVoTCHT0KcE_MWAXco-A8kQodgdBUoHvl8Knm64I-DoTrm2qer6f0gM4pqcG2XqdWKTa5A5rUheDyyLEZprkHCQYsukK7nRscH5NoU5G4Dwm3BTow5tDzKuavZyUG8Sp-XGkLZCEAVvHuezE=w1048-h456-no


Perseguidors from Jolly Pumpkin
Ithaca Brute
Freetail Ananke
Central Waters Exodus
 
Since our anniversary was yesterday, it makes me think of our trip out east for our 10 year 3 years ago. Got to have this on-site at Hill Farmstead. Six Years was a huge deal for a very short period of time. Can't imagine that it is even worth whale status now. It was already aged nearly 6 years prior to bottling. We're at nearly 10 years now. It was a beautiful tannin/oaky monster with a great flanders like base.
acaca695f5ed35be70a3aff3637c4cba_640x640.jpg

This one would probably still command some interest among HF-heads/completionist tickers, but overall Flanders red-type sours have never been something that newmoney cares about, and all the old money ones - OG C&C La Folies, Oude Tart, Red Poppy, Consecration, Love Child, etc. (any obvious ones I'm forgetting?) - are generally thought to either be past their primes, are shelfies (or are now, even if they weren't once upon a time), or have already been ticked by the people who want them. Even Side Project's had relatively minimal hype for a Side Project limited release (the fact that it had heavy notes of acetone probably didn't help much there).
 
All sorts of AWA at my 30th Birthday in 2012.
kb6VztLsxMYNtux_l_NfbyLdSMaEJHqNDiwJYmqEVcqPXIcDRgUR5YZsKXLUtEqD-yABzJq3RcemNs2rA8eu3KlvDVae8B-6XcTywvCBmL0t9G6pZfOdu75V8Q1R4l825YiEOaPDV3kIZfVBDNOCaoEKPA803XVZrJPl77HCpAHmVMgmtg5L57lpjwRss5Cwnn85cvQsQDLVxma9p36gbRujjMpn2naGdGetGpKI980cD10TN0We-FT8b0FfrAnAS93us4c_6tWbLEpS_wBDM1WhwuTa3eiYjbvs96Q5i7FHNOvAjEmbgAljKjEu_wrSfHJ67JbT7FKeVypWrqRlqxkh7rbjxwvX58h7L-oYjeO9i46R-NHGTc2KG1R4TG9repc61uVf3yomQJDcHQNjUZNNcGl0fEZ1KZRcXFCVIQp1I9mmB8A3r9bbO5-CxdM_c1wJkIKQpatPADLmY5wnxCFxoLaQk7SegFCcLeClfuIiZxQjVH42G7h2QWoSPPtks828U7wJe_YW1Ua-RBon9NOtxgOKezZqJ1YOMNl8xBzbGrC0n9qtizzMrROturafmlV2Oc7gBd3wDjowoyzuQj-XRrzk_Q41iBXxXMmj4WjE-V-buqGDwc1DyvoPcmiDjMz86owp3GYeXGekw-EmAM-QKrILZKiV=w800-h626-no

Upright Fantasia
Trinity Old Growth
First batches of 2009 Goose Island Juliet
C&C La Folie vs those pasteurized shells of La Folie
Random Jackie O's "Sour"

A 2013 tasting
hZd7oOXnuv90dEL5PUy_6Puzk5lx3rYI4Nycw2slrufbJigWg_-gkyBY1qruPXxrugGc3fOBOlfyeIWBaL5QaM-byg0DhHNcKzCp9mYKpEyZZ0B0d-TDO68tXjbrgl7p1K9dkxVDNFI6IGEemqkNzj_n019h73J_VpVBUvYOJUcfIIPbIkiI2FpWkyE0_LutH1vG6Q3frvfjCoB7q8BX86h7n21q93Wu4FfC7dIcoL8hpFqwsjb7z3lF9CfO1kENsVyjdGDBfIs9J2pTLFI2G9_cpUB8XctWWmVShLERsBrCdhLzzQu8qMjtSIW8URGcum3lGa2RzQi6S7zDpdCR5K-JHlkCe9LSktcJkmSuvQWZEOWh9HY78UxtiPnzFxAH6KddSDHIzJFp-Fq2WlmNBbIpZTuqzSXZMKjgnfAu2eesJ07tSnCrzjxNIlmTzgP9SBaIS0dWL6p-VLpbHlUUtPSfNeffqLFe3xaWPNQg5aqsXNK4bp1Osvol1KgUdgOOE4QxAkPFRG_DhwddVoTCHT0KcE_MWAXco-A8kQodgdBUoHvl8Knm64I-DoTrm2qer6f0gM4pqcG2XqdWKTa5A5rUheDyyLEZprkHCQYsukK7nRscH5NoU5G4Dwm3BTow5tDzKuavZyUG8Sp-XGkLZCEAVvHuezE=w1048-h456-no


Perseguidors from Jolly Pumpkin
Ithaca Brute
Freetail Ananke
Central Waters Exodus
I remember running to the store to grab one of the 12 bottles of CW Exodus that they got.
 
Freetail Ananke

Jester King gets all the hype for sour beer in Texas but Freetail has quietly put out a long record of really solid sour beers. Even their fruited berliners are great although that isn't my favorite style. Real Ale in central Texas is also putting out some really well made sours but there is even less history of hype with their beers than Freetail.
 
Jester King gets all the hype for sour beer in Texas but Freetail has quietly put out a long record of really solid sour beers. Even their fruited berliners are great although that isn't my favorite style. Real Ale in central Texas is also putting out some really well made sours but there is even less history of hype with their beers than Freetail.

Fortuna Roja was really good too
 
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