Creekside '09 Sour Spice - Creekside Brewing Company

ThreeWiseMen

California

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

In the winter of 2009-10, Eric Beaton discovered that two kegs of his Winter Spice Ale had become infected. Instead of tossing the beer, he decided to sit on it and see what happened. He left one keg alone, and added a wild ale yeast blend to the other. '09 Sour Spice is the keg that was left alone. Eric will release the wild ale yeast version when he feels it's ready.

Sampled at Creekside Brewing Company last night. The following review is based on notes taken at that time.

Served in a tulip.

Appearance: Arrived with a half inch of loose, tan foam on top, which quickly receded to a thin halo. Body is deep amber and nearly opaque; glows orange around the edges when held to light. Mild lacing.

Smell: Lemonade, black cherries, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. A thick, gingerbread-like undertone softens the sharp lemony aroma and adds a nice layer of complexity. Wild ale meets winter warmer - I dig it.

Taste: My roommate (JustinA1) and I were immediately impressed with the tartness of this beer. Lemon and lactic acid-like tartness dominate early on, with the holiday spices hiding in the background. With time, however, my palate adjusted and the other flavors became much more apparent: dark currants, cinnamon, snickerdoodles, and juniper. The 9.2% ABV barely peeks through in a lightly dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Full and bready, especially compared to other sours. Also spicy, tart, and a little dry. The mix of wild ale and winter warmer is strange, though not bad.

Drinkability: I really wanted to give this beer a higher score. It's the most interesting and complex beer I've had from Creekside, and also one of the most drinkable. The ABV is also hidden very well. Kudos to you, Eric! Please make some more sours.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 20:10:41 | More by ThreeWiseMen