Blue Sunday Sour - New Holland Brewing Company

CharlieMurphy

New York

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

'10

A: Like an apple juice/grape juice blend. Dark but completely translucent. Very frothy, albeit small head that stays clung to the sides.

S: Almost smells like gummy bears/worms in its sugar content. Barnyard sour upfront, quickly overpowered by oak that almost smells of bourbon.

T: Less tart than the smell. Oak is also more subdued. Almost has a wine like fruit taste and flatness.

M: Carbonation is low but still there. This beer doesn't contribute much to the mouthfeel which is good for being a sour imo. I wish the carbonation was more lively though. As I drink more I get the distinct burps that remind me of drinking too much brandy, gross.

O: Atypical beer, atypical for the style too. Not really toward my fancies though.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 03:45:06 | More by CharlieMurphy

b3shine

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle to oversized snifter. 2012 vintage. Looks decent; darker in color, no sediment. Less carbonation than I ecpexted (next to none). Smells good; tart and funky. Tastes decent; earthy, funky, and sour. Mouthfeel is good for a beer of its type. Overall, a decent brew that I enjoyed, but is a little pricy for the quality.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 18:56:24 | More by b3shine

DCon

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 1 PINT 6 FL. OZ. bottle from Friar Tuck's in Fenton, MO for $13.49. Poured from the Purple labeled/foiled bottle w/ "15", The Cellar Series, & Ale Aged in Oak on the front into a 12oz Schlafly Tulip Glass. Has only 2012 Vintage on the front of the bottle, no bottled date.

This is Review #700 for me and I picked this beer because I haven't had anything from New Holland classified under a Sour/American Wild Ale style! I purchased this with the Founder's Better Half. Went this one first because I was so curious. Lets see what it presents to us!

Aroma- Tons of barnyard and oak from the beginning. Light cherries/sour fruits hit the nose too. Very sweet and very similar to a Gueuze. Enjoyed this aroma big time!

Appearance- Pours almost no head at all. Has a dark copper/light brown colored body with semi-clarity. Leaves tons of suds behind.

Flavor- The beginning of the drink is very sweet and has a nice oak feel to it. Almost has a cherry taste towards the middle or some type of sour fruit. No hops present and has a light bitterness level. Finishes semi-dry.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Tart, and puckers the palate big time at the finish!

Overall Impression- While NEVER having anything close to this style from New Holland, enjoyed greatly! Will be buying another one and aging for years to come. I would definitely classify this one as a Gueuze style though. The sour attributes and barnyard notes hit home, being one of my top 5 styles. Took a leap of faith on this one and without a doubt, made my night! Thanks New Holland! Keep up the good work.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 06:53:12 | More by DCon

webmanspidey

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter, this is a dark purple/brown/burgundy type color. It seems pretty well carbonated. Smell is very funky, sour, tart, and acidic. Vinegar, raspberries, and lemon all come to mind. The taste is not as intense as the smell, but it is definitely sour lemon with some woody oak aftertones. This is very easy to drink as the alcohol does not seem to come through at all.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 00:30:39 | More by webmanspidey

camil1mj

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured at slightly below cellar temp.

A: Nice reddish brown. Very little amount of white head. Minimal lacing.

S: Funky vinegar nose with some fruity undertones.

T: This is the best aspect. Great sour taste. Notes of apple cider vinegar.

M: Light body and carbonation.

O: This was surprisingly good. I will be buying another bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 01:48:44 | More by camil1mj

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into tulip - i cant recall who sent this, but thanks!

Pours a mostly clear burnt cherry color with some auburn hues. A thin head fades into filmy retention, with a few spots of lacing on the glass.

Decent smack or tartness in the nose with oak and berries. Dark cherry skin and white wine with some acidity. Hints of caramel malt too.

Starts off with a mild sourness, fairly tempered and round on the tongue. Oak and berry notes with cranberry-like acidity. Some cherry notes with more tartness. Hints of caramel and malt towards the finish, which is a little dry and warm.

Medium body, higher carbonation, tingly and dry on the tongue. A drinkable, fairly refreshing brew, but not especially sour.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 22:35:14 | More by xnicknj

oline73

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy dark amber with a mild off white head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Smell: Sweet malt with strong blueberry notes. There is a tart vinegar note as well.

Taste: A bit sour with some sweet malt and blueberry. The blueberry isn't nearly as prevalent as it was in the smell. The finish is tart.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: A nice sour, but not earth shattering. It was nice to be able to taste the blueberry. The sourness was good but not too strong. I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 22:22:27 | More by oline73

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Ken, 750ml into some tulips. 2010 vintage, civic day tasting.

Poured a mahogany brown, with a tan head. Mild retention and a thick collar stick around. Nose has some sour blueberry, acetic notes, mild funkiness and some sour greenery. Taste is more balanced, some sourness and blueberry notes again. Some lemon, acetic acid, oak, and adequate sweet malts to restrain the sourness. Medium mouthfeel, with a fullness to it. Some pucker in the finish, solid flavour and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 15:47:18 | More by liamt07

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip. 2010 vintage. Thanks to bauermj for bringing this over.

Appearance: Slightly hazy cherry brown color with a rocky off white head that fades quickly and leaves nothing on the glass.

Smell: Slightly tart and vinegary aroma. Tart cherries, oak, some currants, and a little vinegar.

Taste: Not much sweetness, just a little bit of residual balsamic sweetness. Some tart cherries, currants, and oak. A little bit of lactic sweetness as the sip finishes.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium carbonation, lightly vinegary puckering, and a light to medium body. Slightly dry.

Overall: This is ok, but there is just not the complexity or strong flavors to really turn this into a winner.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 01:44:16 | More by KickInTheChalice

Wadsey

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Blue Sunday 2011

Served in New Belgium globe glass

A: Pours clear amber with two-inch tan head that lasts briefly but some foam rings stick to glass' interior. Vigorous effervescence. 

S: Malt vinegar is the dominant note in smell. Additional aromas include grapes, grape skin, wood, cherries, and a bit of vanilla. I get the impression that the beer will be a little sweet and salty. 

T: Yes, it is quite sweet, but not disproportionate to the sweetness found in a Flanders Red Ale like Rodenbach Grand Cru. Grape, cherry and vinegar notes follow next. The sourness in Blue Sunday is medium-light, so not as big of a player as I suspected. Wood and/or fruit pits join these elements for finish, which is astringent. 

M: Medium-heavy body and medium carbonation. Mouthfeel is smooth and paradoxically limp. 

O: I'm still amazed that New Holland was able to brew a decent, approachable American Wild Ale. It is definitely pedestrian and is therefore recommended mainly as an introduction to the style or as a relatively cheap sour fix ($12 for a 750 ml bottle). 

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 22:27:02 | More by Wadsey

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Spot on a sour style, with blue fruit, blueberry? Sour aroma that draws you in. Dark coloured body with geneorus soapy head. Complex, sourness malted away, and oak melowness. ken's bottle from recent Michigan trip. Highlight of a tasting. Very decent drinakbility for a sour. A little ageing helped.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 02:16:41 | More by northyorksammy

Pencible

Virginia

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear dark mahogany, with a little light tan head.
S: It smelled like sour cherry and tart cranberry and funky oak, with a little brown sugar and wild yeast and metallic hops.
T: It tasted like dark sour cherry and tart cranberry, with funky oak and and brown sugar and a little metallic hops. It had a clean and juicy sour aftertaste.
M: It was watery with moderate carbonation. Decent body.
D: This was a nice wild ale with a succulent sour scent and taste. Delicate but bold, with a bit of sweetness to balance the sour. This was a clean drink with fitting body, and the alcohol was well hidden also, so it was very easy to drink. May improve with age, but nice fresh. I'm surprised I had never heard of this before, but glad I got to try it. Not one of those wilds that'll blow your mind, but still recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 19:53:40 | More by Pencible

nppeders

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's fathers day on Sunday so I thought I'd bust out this New Holland Blue Sunday Sour as a gift to myself.

appearance- nice brown color, almost blackish, when held upto the light you get ruby-brown colors. very nice.

smell - tart cherries, a bit of vinegar.

taste - starts out with balsamic vinegar and tart cherries as well as some oakyness..so good. The middle hits you on the sweet side and tastes like bing cherries, and then it finish's dry and tart. Perfect amount of oak that is present but not overpowering. Just a cherry bomb and I doubt they used any actual cherries in this beer.

mouthfeel - thin to medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation.

overall- Vinegar sourness, tart, oak, mixed with tart and sweet cherries. I think that this is pretty close to a Oud Bruin or a flemish brown ale. I'm totally digging this beer. Frickin fantastic work New Holland.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:57:25 | More by nppeders

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark burgundy color with a one-finger, tan head of foam. It left sudsy sheets of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of sour black cherries.

T - Great sour taste. Great black cherry taste with a hint of spices.

M - It was crisp and had a puckering bite. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This was a surprisingly good sour ale. I had avoided this because the label looked a little cheesy but it delivered on taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 00:40:37 | More by zeff80

EricCioe

Montana

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours dark brown with a one finger tan head that dies down leaving small hints of lace. On the nose there are tart cherries, general funk, and dry oak. It's a pretty weak nose with only the oak really jumping out. In the mouth there is a combination of sweet and tart, with the tart definitely winning out. The oak provides a dry backdrop for everything else, and there are tart cherries and blueberries perhaps present. It's complex but not especially well integrated. The body is medium with a long, long finish of dry oak and funk, a very smooth and present body and carbonation scheme.

Overall, this beer is a decent sour, worth trying for sure, but it just didn't integrate well enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 02:10:02 | More by EricCioe

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The sour ale pours out as a brown color with a quick dissolving tan head. Strong sour smellalong with some tart cherries or raspberry aromas. There are also some aromas of wood in there too. Tasted sour and just a little fruity as well. It was pretty light feeling and had minimal carbonation. Overall this beer is pretty good for someone who's into this style. It really takes a lot for me to get these under my belt but I try to anyway.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 00:35:02 | More by Knapp85

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010 edition. Despite praise from a friend, I opened this beer with fairly low expectations. New Holland is not a brewery I'm too familar with, and certainly not one I associate with wild ales.

A: Gentle pour into 2 wine glasses. Head emerges a bright white foam which quickly dies off and leaves some spotty lacing. Beer is a clear red brown.

S: Lots of oak in the nose. quite tart but fairly controlled. fruit is really evident. Maybe its the bottle talking to me but I do smell blueberries.

T: really nicely balanced. Not overpoweringly tart and sour. lots of oak, raspberries, vanilla, pepper etc.

M: a little sweet for the style, but still fairly dry. Medium bodied with laid back carbonation.

Overall: Really drinkable, and not overpoweringly sour. would be a great one to introduce somone to sours with. Would probably hold up 5 years or more in the Cellar, and perhaps clear up some of the sweetness if thats what your into.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 00:49:17 | More by uno99

Phelps

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle traded by badnewsbeers into a snifter.

Dark caramel orange, with a half-finger head that fizzles away quickly to a medium frothy ring of light tan.

Very, very tart nose. Caramel, red and green apples, grapefruit peel, hints of dark raisin. I also pick up notes of red wine.

More malt emerges in the flavor. Caramel, burnt sugar, green apple, sweet apricot and hints of cola balanced by a perfect moderate tartness.

Light, massaging carbonation amidst a smooth medium body with very light fizziness. The tartness is nice and not abrasive. Alcohol is unnoticeable.

Not a bad beer overall, but I’m confused by the name choice. I know it’s probably referring to the song by The Doors, but in a sour beer called Blue Sunday, you’d expect some blue flavors, would you not? Some blueberries would add a lot to this beer, methinks.

This beer must, however, be thanked for the pretentious inclusion of "charcuterie" in the pairing suggestions, from which our tasting group found inspiration for its name. Long live the AZ Cooters!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 02:28:21 | More by Phelps

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clean deep amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, well, it smells of a package of Sweet Tarts. In the flavor, fruity, mostly of a white grape and like a just chewed a package of Sweet Tarts. A sour bite and medium to a lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry sour and white grape like aftertaste. Nice sour, enjoyed the mix of sweet to sour that was not over barring at all, and hides the ABV very well.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 13:45:39 | More by OWSLEY069

roadhouse

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am reviewing this from memory so it's a bit more brief than usual, but I found this to be a really great beer, much more so than the average suggests.

I had it in a 22 oz bomber into a pint glass. The appearance was dark reddish brown with a decent head that went away.

Aroma was nicely tart with some sour lactic notes and a hint of oak and something like red wine. Some tart cherry and dark fruit as well.

Taste was excellent as well, being almost exactly what I expected from the aroma. Nice tartness in it, a good balance that makes it very drinkable especially given the ABV. Some tannic notes and again a fruitiness that blends very well.

Mouthfeel was unremarkable, but certainly nothing I would think to complain about. Typical for most sours it was fairly light with a nice creamy carbonation.

This was a really nice and unexpected one from New Holland that I picked up on a whim as it was the only one on the shelf available so I figured why not? Glad I did, this one's a really nice American interpretation of the sour that isn't Russian River. Nice to see something of this caliber is being brewed in my general region of availability.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 00:13:15 | More by roadhouse

mcallister

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A scarlet color with a crimson effect. Small off white head with lengthy retention.

Nice nose of sour cherry and berries. Earthy, funky brett aromas with hints of wood. Fruity, zesty eaters.

Nice beer. Lots of oaky notes and drying wood tannins on the finish. Fruity tart and full of earthy funk and brett notes. Hints of pedo and lacto on the middle and finish. Berry, sour cherry, barnyard, leather, nice light carbonation makes this even better.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 20:46:51 | More by mcallister

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a stemmed flute

Appears a cloudy, ruby infused brownish body with a bubbly tan head that rose and fell rather quickly. Mild lacing left on the glass.

Tart with oak and cherries. A band-aid/medicinal funk mixed with a mild dose of horse blanket rounds out the aroma. Not an overly aggressive nose nor is it enticing.

Horse blanket comes to the front a little more on the palate with the band-aid quickly in tow. Tart cherries and plums and a touch of vanilla to help cut through the tartness. Some oak woodiness rounds out the flavor.

Medium-light body with a tart, dry finish. Relatively mellow all around.

The drinkability was average due to the overall fact that this falls short to most other in its style. A good try, but overall it falls short of expectations.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 23:49:02 | More by ColForbinBC

fear025

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma:Yum! There's the harsh sour smell, as well as blueberry pancakes with syrup or honey.

Appearance:Amber in color with lots of off-white head that dissipates quickly.

Taste:This is a nice mild sour, with good fruit flavors on the foretaste. There are blueberries as well as other mixed berries. The aftertaste is a little watery as the flavors get diluted and fade.

Mouthfeel:Slightly harsh, light to medium body, good carbonation.

Drinkability:This is an easy drinking sour. It would be very easy to put a lot of this away in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 19:07:56 | More by fear025

cooch69

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one pours a deep rich reddish brown with barely a head but some lacing around the edges.

Nose is juicy malts, bretty, and blueberries.

Taste is like a Gueuze crossed with a Flanders. It has that barn yard funk to it, cheese and all. The slight vingar and nice level of sourness come followed by a unique blueberry taste. I wonder if they're actually in it since it has the name blue in the title.

Creamy medium mouthfeel. Good elegent beer that I'm happy I grabbed though quite expensive.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 01:57:40 | More by cooch69

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Derek for sending this one my way. I've been wanting to try it out for awhile now. I believe this is the 2008 release/vintage.

A: Good thing I wasn't pointing the bottle at anyone as the cork exploded out of the bottle as soon as I took the cage off. Pours a dark amber color with a couple finger's of khaki head.

S: An interesting aroma to this beer. Quite a strong vinegar presence along with a lot of oak which gives the beer a strong vanilla note. Some chocolate, strangely, and a bit of dark fruits. Some alcohol notes as well.

T: Dark fruits such as cherries and currants are prominent on the flavor and are really accentuated by the balsamic and red wine vinegar notes. A bit of a grape juice flavor and plenty of oak and vanilla. There is a minerally character to the beer, too.

M: Medium in body with a moderate to high level of carbonation.

D: This beer was really strange/interesting. I liked it for the most part, but it did have some slight harshness at points, particularly the alcohol on the nose.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 22:01:43 | More by womencantsail