Raspberry Sour Blonde (2018) - Tasting Notes

This was my first attempt at a Framboise Lambic style Sour Blonde.  It is was made with beer I'd aged since 2014 and 2015 and Raspberries I grew myself (12 lbs of them).  Raspberries can be very sour themselves so I chose a blend of beers that hadn't developed a whole lot of acidity.

This beer aged on the fruit for almost 7 months and has now been in bottles for 6 months.  Lets see how I've done.






























Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Musty and earth brett up front followed by overripe raspberry.  Maybe a somewhat mineral aroma in there as well.
• Appearance:  
• Red and very clear.  Pours with maybe a finger of head which is gone in seconds.  No real signs of carbonation unless you swirl the glass which kicks up a bit.
• Flavor:
• Raspberry along with musty & funky brett flavors dominate the palate up front and then the finish is quite sour.  Raspberry and a light malt flavor then linger in the finish after the sour bite has cleared.
• Mouthfeel:
• Light bodied and very dry.  Acidity prickles the back of the throat on the swallow.
• Overall:
• This is very intensely flavored beer with a lot going on to bring complexity.  It is very dry and very tart which hurts the drinkability quite a bit.  I think a bit more residual sweetness would have helped the balance of the beer a lot.  I'll plan on back sweetening the batch this year.