First Tasting: Dry hopped sour

I just realized the other day that I never actually wrote a review for this beer. At first it was very hit or miss from bottle to bottle. Some had a great tropical fruit nose and others were slightly acetic with ethyl acetone. I am happy to report that is no longer the case. The last few bottles I’ve had were all tropical and venous. This beer started off as late hopped wort (no hops added before flame out) and it was then used to blend with a saison and dry hopped with more Nelson hops. I’ve read that when dry-hopping with sour beers the character of the hops can be different than with clean beer. I’ve also read that time can cause the hops to go through swings in aroma while brett has its way with the esters. I’m guessing that is what was happening in the beginning and it’s finally rounded a corner to what I was hoping it would end up. 

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange with a rocky white head that lingers and clings to the side of the glass. Very effervescent looking. 

Aroma: Lots of citrus fruit, lime, passionfruit, and white wine. I’m pretty happy that the Nelson came across as the elusive white wine aroma instead of cat piss. There is a touch of barrel and funk coming through. I’m really pleased with the aroma. 

Flavor: White wine, citrus, and lactic acid. The acid is more towards the lactobacillus side of acidity instead of the pediococcus side, which keeps it light and refreshing.  No bitterness from the hops. 

Mouthfeel: Very high carbonation, with a light body and very dry finish. The acidity is not long lasting, but there is a hit of tannin on the back end. 

Overall: Now that it’s finally leveled off I’m very pleased with the way this beer turned out. It’s refreshing and tart with a nice blend of white wine and tropical fruit. Using dry hops with sour beer is something I’d like to try more in the future, possibility with a single hop to get a feel for how the hop will work with brett and acidity or with some type of blend that has worked well in an IPA.