For March we’re featuring an interesting selection of sour craft brews. The intentionally acidic and tart taste of a sour brew comes from allowing wild yeast strains or bacteria to develop. A sour beer can take months to ferment and can years to mature.
La Folie Sour Brown Ale 2015 from New Belgium Brewing Co is one of those beers, spending three years in oak barrels. According to the brewer the beer “is sharp and sour, full of green apple, cherry, and plum-skin notes.”
New Belgium warns, this is “not a beer for the timid, La Folie is a sour delight that will turn your tongue on its head.” The folks at Beer Advocate approve, with well over 3,000 votes resulting in a score of 95.
From Spain we have Sidra Urbitarte, a Basque Cider. This is a non-sparkling cider, made by Urbitarte, a traditional family owned cider house in the Aralar Mountains of Basque Country. The cider makers describe Urbitarte as having a “fresh acidity with complex tart and musty flavors,” that will appeal to fans of Belgian sour beers and lambics.
And from Woodchuck Hard Cider Cellar Series, we’re featuring Sour Cherry. Woodchuck says this product has been 4 years in the making, as they experimented with as many as 10 blends. The cider is made with sweet tart dried cherries from Michigan, and cherry juice from Belgium. Woodchuck says this is a one of a kind concoction, that a different crop of cherries would have different results.
Check out this video from Woodchuck for a look at the making of Sour Cherry:
Maui Brewing Co has been handcrafting ales and lagers in Lahaina, HI since 2005. Maui Brewing Co is both a brew pub and brewery. They release their beers in cans for better preservation, quick chilling, light weight and eco-friendliness.
We are excited to add a selection of Maui Brewing Co’s flagship beers to our shelves:
Big Swell IPA
Maui Brewing’s India Pale Ale is brewed with four types of hops and malted barley. According to the brewer the flavor “begins smooth and malty and is followed with a big burst of hop flavor.” ABV 6.8 IBU 82
Mana Wheat
This unfiltered wheat ale is infused with Maui Gold Pineapple. Maui Brewing lightly hops this one “to allow the fruity sweetness of the pineapple to shine through”. ABV 5.5 IBU18
CoCoNut PorTeR
Maui’s approach to Porter involves “six varieties of malted barley, hops and hand-toasted coconut.” Expect the “tastes of dark malt, chocolate and hints of coffee.” The finish is balanced out with “toasted coconut and hoppy spice.”
Bikini Blonde Lager
Bikini Blonde is a filtered “Munich Helles Lager with floral hops and Pilsner and Munch malts.” Maui says if you’re looking for something similar to an American Lager, this their brew for you.