A recent article in Zymurgy Magazine sparked an interest in sour ale here at Hapa’s. Not one single person had ever tried a sour ale which lead to mystery and speculation on the style’s characteristics and flavor profile. Would it be sweet and sour like the famous Chinese sauce, would it be mouth puckering like sucking on a lemon, or funkier than James Brown? With these question swirling around Hapa’s headquarters, it was only natural that we give one a try.
The beer we chose was Hermitage Brewing’s 1 Door Flemish Style Sour Ale. This beer falls into the Flanders Oud Bruin style of sour ales that are characterized by fruity aromas and flavors, sour notes, and very low hop rates.
Appearance
Amber in color with a reddish hue. The finger and a half head quickly dissipates like audiences from Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” Tour. Very little lacing is left on the glass hinting at a thin bodied beer.
Smell
Notes of apple cider dominate the nose of this beer. Sweet malt smells are present as are slightly earthy aromas that we can only assume come from wood barrel aging. Acidic notes, reminiscent of cranberry, also rise from the glass.
Taste
Typical sour flavors like lime and and green apple invade the mouth. The tongue smacking tartness gives way to the less pleasant tastes of soured milk and metallic flavors like chewing aluminum foil. Typical of the style, there is not even a hint of hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel
This is a light bodied beer with little weight in the mouth. Carbonation is low and could be described as a light effervescence.
Drinkability
A dissapointing introduction to sour beers. The aromatic and flavor profiles of this beer is definitely a new and outside the box experience. Unfortunately, the box this sour ale is outside of is the Good Beer Box. Overall grade for 1 Door Flemish Sour Ale: C-
1 Door Flemish Style Sour
Up next on Tuesday Tastings: Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale