Out of the Bottle: Daddy's First Sour

It's been a long time (16 months, to be exact) since my first ever Sour hit the brew kettle. After nearly 14 months in the secondary and two more in the bottle, my Flanders Red is ready for the light of day.

Was the wait worth it?

I'd say yes.

I was rather nervous brewing a beer that takes so long to mature. If something went terribly wrong, I wouldn't know about it for quite some time. Then I relaxed, had a homebrew and decided not to worry about it.

The result of my efforts netted a very interesting beer that isn't quite what I expected. As with quite a few Sours I've had, there's not much of a head on this one. It takes an aggressive pour to form and quickly dissipates. The beer also has a fair bit of haze. However, what really matters is what happens on the palate, so it's time to move on.

Although the guidelines for this style indicate strong fruitiness inspired by dark fruits, my beer leans toward the lighter ones. Cherries, green grapes and apricots are way out front before the sourness kicks in. The beer's sourness isn't over the top, but lends a very tart white wine like character that defines its character. As intended, there's no hop character to be found outside of a mild bitterness. The sherry infused oak adds a very subtle compliment. The finish is very dry and slightly acidic.

In the end, I'm quite happy with my work. The question now is whether or not I'm patient enough to take a stab at another one of these.

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