Inbound Key Lime Gose

Inbound Key Lime Gose.
5 % ABV. 20 IBU.
Inbound BrewCo, Minneapolis, MN.

Lightly hazed, pale golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Tart, salt, lime. Nice.

In the mouth: Again, tart and salt comes first, with lime flavor next. Grips the palate with the sour, then all is light and refreshing. Medium bodied, easy drinking, for the sour heads among us.

This isn't my style, but it's good for what it is.




Our tart Gose Sour Ale brewed with loads of refreshing, tropical Key limes. Enjoy each sip to find a note of graham cracker crust. All the joy of a margarita with none of the tequila-infused regrets.

Junkyard Church Giggles Cherry Pie Tart

Junkyard Church Giggles Cherry Pie Tart.
Ale with graham cracker,
cherry and vanilla beans.
5.9 % ABV.
Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, MN.

The look: Lightly hazed, bright ruby hued, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: tart from the start, with an undercurrent of sweet. Cherry rising. Cherry pie filling, to be more accurate.

In the mouth: Blend of tart and sweet kicks it off. Light bodied, swift and refreshing. Definitely tasting of cherry pie.

This one is tasty, but doesn't really deliver much. One-dimensional. Well, they can't all be winners.

If you’re happy and you know it, say “amen”. This cherry pie tart was born on a bed of premium Pilsner malt, and baptized with 800 pounds of sweet cherry. To make this just a bit more special, we finished it off with graham cracker crumbles and vanilla to emulate an oozing slice of liquid cherry pie. Well now, what else do we want to be forgiven for??⁣

ONE Upside Down Blonde Ale

ONE Upside Down Blonde Ale. 6.5 % ABV. 15 IBU.
ONE Fermentary & Taproom, Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, amber hued, slim white head.

In the nose: Malty, cracker-y, bread-like. mild hops, well-balanced.

In the mouth: Lean, clean, slight hop bitterness, mostly malty. Doesn't really taste like a blonde ale, more of an amber, maybe. Not getting the flavors of a blonde, not sure what flavors I'm getting...or, that I'm supposed to get.

There's a touch of spice in the malt flavors, and virtually no hop bitterness. Slightly juicy, turning dry in the end. I'm not sure what to think of this one. You can drink it, but I can say that I'm really enjoying it.

What do they have to say?

Fruit-forward blonde ale with sweet pineapple and tart cherry

Pineapple? Cherry? Tart? Well, maybe I can pick up some cherry...pineapple? I'm going to meditate on this while I finish off the crowler...maybe something will pop up.

That "spicy malt" flavor I picked up was actually the tart cherry, slowly emerging, and the pineapple remains mostly hidden. You'd think it would be more forward, given that it helps form the name of this beer, in a sense.

It's an alright fruited blonde ale, and you can drink it.

The Bruery Oude Tart with Cherries

The Bruery Oude Tart with Cherries. 8.4 % ABV. 2014 Edition.
The Bruery, Placenta, Orange County, CA.

Dark, Burgundy hue, slim head, utterly opaque.

In the nose: Sour hits first, followed by cherries, dark malt, oak. Dark fruit, raisins, fig. Sharp, acidic, balanced, and beautiful.

In the mouth: Tart. Juicy. Dark fruits aplenty, rich and oak-edged. Cherries shine through. Intense sour. Full bodied, long sour, fruity finish. Vast complexity

This one was terrific, probably best shared with friends, though. I could not finish it entirely, and saved the last 2 ounces in the fridge. Couldn't pour it out. Saved for breakfast.

Thanks to Julie, again!

Oude Tart is a Flemish-Style Red Ale aged in red wine barrels. It’s pleasantly sour with hints of leather, dark fruit and toasty oak. While this is one of the more classic beer styles that we make, it’s not a style that you can find too often in the United States. Originating in style from the Flanders region of Belgium, near the French boarder, this dark, sour ale has roots deep in brewing history and predates most of the ales that have become popular in contemporary culture. We’re doing our best to keep the tradition alive by brewing and aging this beer here on the west coast.

Oliphant 2cloned2getstoned key lime sour ale

Oliphant 2cloned2getstoned key lime sour ale. 5 % ABV.
Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Hazed, pale yellow, slim white head.

In the nose: Tart from the start, with citrus in command. Sharp, sour, pungent. Key lime all the way.

In the mouth: Coming on strong with the key lime and salt. Juicy and sour. Medium bodied, long tart finish. I like it. The Oliphant winning streak of sours continues.

Key lime sour with lactose & sea salt.

2clone2getstone

yes, we were not very creative with this title, but we can’t get enough of this movie. its got clones, its got jonn stones, its got action, drama, goofs, thrills, and a kiss at the end. what more could you ask for?

key lime sour w/ lactose, vanilla, & sea salt. 5% abv

Town Hall Cherry Grand Cru

Town Hall Cherry Grand Cru.
Fruited Belgian Strong Ale. 9.5 % ABV.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

Here is the beer that becomes Manhattan Reserve, before it goes in the barrels. And I've got a whole crowler to myself. Yum, a dum, dum....or am I going too far ahead?

Bright, bold crimson coloring, thoroughly opaque, slim whitish head.

In the nose: Cherries on top, Belgian malt and yeast just below. Belgian funky feel melds well with fruit.

In the mouth: Sweetness grips the palate first, big fruit flavors are in full command. Sweet fruit flavors and alcoholic warmth, hand in hand. Juicy malt pokes it's head up, but the cherry infusion completely suffuses the other aspects of this brew. Not that there's anything too terrible about that.

This may be a bit too sweet for me. I am enjoying it, but I wouldn't return to it too quickly.
Actually, I find that I really should have saved this for a special dessert, with some sweet chocolate treat. Or, maybe it should just be shared. It's a bit much for one person in one sitting.

Grand Cru finished with tart cherries.

What music should one pair with this beer? There's only one choice:

Oliphant 2blazed2bphased Peaches & Cream Sour

Oliphant 2blazed2phased Peaches & Cream Sour. 5 % Alc./Vol
Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

A few weeks back, I made the final pilgrimage to Oliphant of the year, number four for 2019.
It was important that I make the journey before year's end for I'd purchased a Smug Club membership and still had more beers coming to me. They don't follow over to the next year, so if I didn't make it, I'd lose out. I had two more crowlers coming to me and talked the staff into dropping the cost of two crowlers from the price of the 12 Days of Tangus boxed set. That's right, 12 crowlers of Oliphant sours, most that I hadn't tried yet. All for a mere one hundred dollars.How could I pass this up?

So, here we are with number two from those seven, another in the series named for a condition of intoxication that deals a lack of ability to function, in some way or another.

Clear, bright golden color, large and lasting ivory head.

In the nose: Tart at the start, fruit fast behind. Salt and cream detected.

In the mouth: Sour kicks it off at the outset, fruit comes in, flashes of peach, then it settles down. Sweetness, cream persists, eventually subsides. There are delectable delights in this. The fruit is somewhat subtle, downright manageable, never too anything. Just enough of everything. And especially refreshing.

A perfect example of the combination of the parts being the better than the individual elements.

Sour ale brewed with peaches, sea salt, and lactose.

There is just one song you should hear while drinking this beer and it's in the video above.

Wild Mind Artisan Ales Mutual Weirdness Doppelbock Honey Ale

Wild Mind Artisan Ales Mutual Weirdness Doppelbock Honey Ale.
11.4 % ABV. 5 IBU.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales, Brewed and bottled in Minneapolis, MN.

Clear, bright golden color, large white head. Looking fine.

In the nose: funky and fresh. Fruity? Some parts honey ale, perhaps, but not at all doppelbock. Curiouser and curiouser.

In the mouth: Tart. Even sour. Almost. Fruity. And...interesting. It's sweet and it's tart, light bodied, long tartness in the finish, excellent drinkability. However, what the heck, and why is it called doppelbock. Doesn't taste like one, or look like one, or even act like one.

Let's peek ahead at the description: Brett-conditioned doppelbock ale aged in used mead barrels and on local honey from Ames Farm.

Anything else on the bottle label? Nope. Just that.

So, Doppelbocks are lagers, not ales. and never Brett-conditioned, nor brewed with honey. I have to wonder why they used these terms, especially since they are not detected in the flavors I'm experiencing. There must be a story here, and I'm dying to hear it.

I remember this one being on sale for being a slow seller, and the bartender telling me it was "a weird one." And being curious about what I thought of it. As the beer itself, nothing wrong with it, but as labeled, what are you thinking? Call it something else, anything else, and you're good. But, doppelbock ale? There's nothing resembling this anywhere in the beer, even if it makes sense, which it doesn't, but as a funky, fruity ale, sure, nothing wrong with it. Was this a mislabeled mistake? Maybe. No one can tell me. I'll finish it and be happy and move on to the next....

I like it, and I'll recommend it to a sour-head, but it's not favorite.

Steel Toe Floriane Blanc Dry Hopped Tart Ale

Steel Toe Floriane Blanc Dry Hopped Tart Ale.
6.2 % ABV. IBU: low. Steel Toe Brewing, St. Louis Park, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Floral, funky, fruity, tart. Delicate and intriguing.

In the mouth: Starts out with the tart, nearly sour, and continues with the smack of citrus. Fairly effervescent. Definitely delightful. Lip-smackingly fruity flavors abound in this, lime and peach and melon, with the kiss of hops planted upon it. Light bodied, and refreshing.

This is one of the most unique beers yet in the Steel Toe repertoire and a step forward for their beers. I think I need to return to the brewery for some more bottles to share with friends.

FLORIANE BLANC “WHITE FLOWER” (DRY HOPPED TART ALE)

SEPT. 2019

The newest release in our Brewers Evolution Series, Floriane Blanc “White Flower” a wine-like spritzy lightly tart ale. Unlike anything we’ve done before, this beer pushes the limits of what beer can be. Refreshing, fruity, tart, dry hopped. The aromas are of white peach, melon, kiwi and lime, with a ripe berry undertone. The aromas carry through on flavor, bright citrus fruit, wine like, with a bright refreshing acidity finishing. Tantalizing the taste buds at every sip, this beer is sure to please the palate!

Color: Bright pale straw, clear
Alcohol content by volume: 6.2%
International Bitterness Units: Low

Backpocket Dry-Hopped Pucker Up Right Meow

Backpocket Dry-Hopped Pucker Up Right Meow. A Tart-sour beer that's powerful enough for a human, and approved by a cat with a raygun.

4.5 % ABV. 13 IBU.
Backpocket Brewing, Coralville, Iowa.
Keep the good things close. Iowa Born. Iowa Brewed. Backpocket Beer is German-inspired and hand-crafted right here in Iowa. We strive to provide Iowans with world-class beer.

Clouded, bright crimson color, slim white/pinkish head.

In the nose: Tart and fruity. Cherries and more, with hops popping in between. Hops are clearly in the driver's seat now, keeping the sweetness away, and sour in control.

In the mouth: Sweetness, fruit and tart takes command from minute one. Bright berries and cherries, juicy, pulpy.  Cherries and black current in a tart, tasty treat. I'm liking it. Lightish bodied, easy drinker. Good sour, fruity ale and you can drink it.

Originak fruited sour ale, huge drip of simcoe, amarillo and chinook hops help balance oht this beer. Tart red cherry and black current puree.

I didn't correct the above, lifted from Untappd. Thought about it, though.

Surly Grapefruit Supreme Tart Ale

Surly Grapefruit Supreme Tart Ale with Grapefruit Added.
4.5 % ABV. Surly Brewing Company, Brooklyn Center & Minneapolis, MN.

Hazy. Pale yellow color. Slim white head.

In the nose: Grapefruit. Tart. That's about it.

In the mouth: Starting tart and getting juicy in a quickness. Stays slightly sour on the palate before finishing dry. Minor hop bitterness. High on the refreshment factor. Not bad, not bad at all. I'd have another, sure, why not.

Braced by bright grapefruit flavor and gentle tartness, this beer reigns supreme. Finishing crisp and citrusy, it sets a new standard for crushable.

56 Brewing Tart IPA

56 Brewing Tart IPA.
5.6 % ABV. 30 IBU.
56 Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Clouded, bright golden hue, lush, long-lasting ivory head.

In the nose: Tart at the start, wild & funky. Sourness subsumes any IPA character there may be.

In the mouth: Huge sour at first sip, with a jolt of juicy. Bracing pucker on the palate. Substantial sour, with not much hop bitterness detected. Sweet juiciness (from malt, I presume) balances out the sour. Quite a tasty sour ale, and you can drink it.

I hate to harp on the same point over and over again, though, but...for all the good, I just gotta. There's not much of an IPA underneath all the sour. Wish they'd stop calling everything an IPA, when it's clearly gone beyond the style.

A juicy and tart kettle soured IPA then dry-hopped with Citra and Loral. The 2nd version of this will be a special collaboration (to be revealed) and released April 20th in the taproom and a limited quantity of 16oz cans.

Stone White Geist Berliner Weisse

Stone White Geist Berliner Weisse. 4.7 % ABV. 12 IBU. Brewed in Berlin. Geist = Ghost. Stone Brewing Company World Bistro & Gardens, Berlin, Deutschland.

Lightly hazy, pale golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: dry, slightly spicy, wheat-y.

In the mouth: Sour from the start, tart and juicy on the palate. Medium bodied, light and refreshing. Citrus notes shine. Sour returns with each new sip. Smooth wheat malt flavors send it home.

Go ahead and drink it. It's a good one.


Our citrusy and refreshing Berliner Weisse is a modern take on a true Berlin classic. Brewed using the same traditional lactic acid cultures as the Berlin brewers of the 1920's, our Berliner Weisse is a bright and sparkling thirst-quencher. The beer embodies the liveliness of summer with the fruity tang of lemon and melon and the tartness of rhubarb and gooseberries. To ensure a properly Stone (and therefore iconoclastic) Berliner Weisse, we upped the ABV to a healthy 4.7% and hopped the beer with new German varieties, Huell Melon and Callista.

Oliphant Anutart Raspberry

Oliphant Anutart Raspberry. 5 % Alc./Vol.
Tart Wheat Ale brewed with raspberries. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

All hazed up, cloudy as can be, a bright crimson, turning pink, with a slim pinkish white head.

In the nose: Tart, wheat-y, and raspberry-vicious. Plump fruit.

In the mouth: Bracing sour from the start. Fresh, fruit, and tart. Light bodied, refreshing. Delightful. Stays fruity and tart, ending on a dry note.

Like most tart wheat ales (aka fruited Berliner Weisses), it's not too terribly complex. But it does what it does, and delivers what you want.

Wild Mind Puff the Passion Dragon

When Wild Mind announced their accounts-only program, they claimed that the beers that would go in kegs to bars and restaurants would not be on tap in the tasting room, but may occasionally show up in bottles or crowlers. Puff is a beer that I poured at Acadia and took great pride in promoting, but I never took notes on it, because I tend not to do that, the note-taking at the bar. On one of my recent visits to the brewery, there it was, a single crowler of Puff. I snatched it up. And now I drink it.

Clear, bright crimson color, short-lived pinkish head (so short it was gone before I could photograph it).

Wild Mind Puff the Passion Dragon Wild Sour Ale, with Fruit. 6.7% ABV. 25 IBU.

In the nose: Popping with berries, buzzing with sour. Bold and fruity. Nice.

In the mouth: Ooo! Fruity pucker-time. Big, juicy fruit. Starts sweet and sour and ends up dry. If memory serves, the ingredients in the beer are in the name. Passion Fruit and Dragon Fruit. Let's learn more about it:

There’s more than a bit of magic in our latest distribution beer. Puff the Passion Dragon was fermented with our own blend of 100 percent Brettanomyces, creating a funky and lightly tart base to which we added more than 60 pounds of tropical hops to add a soft bitterness and tropical flavor the complement the wild yeast. To wrap things up, we conditioned Puff on 336 pounds of passion fruit and 250 pounds of dragon fruit to add a final touch of tartness and a whole lot of tropical fruit flavor. This ambitiously funked up fruited sour pours a vivid pink and has notes of earthy funk, tropical fruit, and a hint of citrusy hoppiness.

A delicious fruited sour ale. Smooth, sour, sweet and lovely. Ends clean on the palate, with the tongue yearning for just a touch more. The glass happily obliges and the throat is eternally grateful. Stomach is pleased, tastebuds tingle, mind is happy. Everybody's good. Just enough malt, just enough fruit, great balance of everything you need, here. Just right on.

Yet another one that I wished I'd been able to pick up two of, and save one to share at some sharing event in the future. Alas. Next time, maybe. You will make this again, won't you, Wild Mind? Sure. Got to let that lightning strike twice.

If it wasn't abundantly clear, I really like this one. Another wild, weird success from Wild Mind.

Oliphant The Mangus Tart Mango Milkshake India Pale Ale

Oliphant The Mangus Tart Mango Milkshake India Pale Ale. 5.6% ABV. Tart Milkshake IPA. Brewed by Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Hazed up, bright orange color, slim ring of ivory foam.

In the nose: traces of tart and fruit, unfolding and flowering. Quite promising.

In the mouth: Sour kick from the start, sour and salty. Tart uber alles in this one, so far. Waiting on the fruit. It's there, somewhere, underneath the sour. Where's the milkshake, though? And, while we're at it, the IPA?

Should I be expecting some happiness, or creamy/fruitiness? It's what they're advertising.

This gets more complex further in, the flavors widen and expand. But not enough that we ever get to taste the milkshake, or the mango, or the IPA. Just call it a tart mango ale. If the "milkshake" aspect doesn't actually come through, why call it such? And it certainly doesn't taste like an IPA.

I hate to knock a favorite brewery, but that's what's going to happen when you put out a "tart mango milkshake IPA." Is it me, not getting these new styles, am I the one who's wrong? Who out there is vigorously nodding?

Oliphant Anutart Blackberry Sour

Oliphant Anutart Blackberry Sour. Berliner Weisse with Blackerries. 5 % ABV. Oliphant Brewery, Somerset, WI.

So, someone's got to solve this puzzle for me: Is it "ANN-you-tart", or "A-NEW-tart"? Got to find out. Also, this series' crowlers labels continue to look like demented teeth at play in some bloody gums. Okay, what the story, Jeremy Hughes?

Thoroughly hazed, rich and jammy, cast in a deep, Burgundy hue, with a fine layer of pink head atop.

In the nose: nice tartness starts it out, swiftly swallowed by fruit. Very berry in here. Just a touch of sweet.

In the mouth: Sweetness is charge at the forefront, and tart soon takes over. Bright and fruity and refreshing. Juicy. Only just a little bit on the thin & watery side, but I certainly don't mind, and it's not wrong for the style.

Good blackberry sour ale, and you can drink it.

Alaskan Cranberry Tart

Alaskan Cranberry Tart. Ale Brewed with Cranberries and Spruce Tips. Alaskan Brewing, Juneau, Alaska. 5.8 % ABV. 25 IBU.

Clear, pinkish hue, slim, soon-gone head.

In the nose: fruity, tart, clean.

In the mouth: Starts out moderately tart, with cranberry flavor coming through. Drops off thereafter, spruce tips take control, and it ends dry and clean. Small amount of hop bitterness, but a persistent spruce tip attack. Citrus notes pop up and blend with other flavors.

If you want an intense "sour" sort of beer, this is not it. It is a good ol' drinkable, fruity ale with just enough tart to earn the label.

I enjoyed this bottle fine enough, but wouldn't make it through a 6-pack. It's not made for me, though, this I know.


This American tart-style ale exhibits cranberry fruitiness in harmony with malt, wheat, hops, and spruce tips.

This light-pink wheat beer has a hint of spruce notes in the aroma, with a honey sweetness and fruity medley of berry intensity prominent in the nose. The flavor is tart at the beginning, with sweet cranberry and citrus mellowing the overall taste. It has a very light mouthfeel and finishes crisp and clean.

Cranberries are paired with the same Sitka spruce tips we use in our award-winning Winter Ale, with Pilsen and German acidulated malts, plus malted white wheat and Nugget hops.

Original Gravity: 1.050
ABV: 5.8%
Bitterness: 15 IBUs

Color: 8 SRM

Ballast Point Tart Peach Kolsch

Ballast Point Tart Peach Kolsch. German-style ale with natural flavors. All. 5.2% by Vol. Ballast Point Brewing, San Diego, CA.

Clear, peach-colored, slim head.

In the nose: it's peach-y! (And little else.)

In the mouth: Tart grips the palate at first sip, and then in rushes the sweet, peach flavors. Slightly bitter on the tongue, until sweet peach rushes in. It's a little tango between the tart and the fruit. With the smooth character of a kolsch below. Light-bodied, easy drinker.

However, this is just me, maybe. I don't want sour/tart and peach to go hand in hand. Maybe you do, though, and this may be the best beer you'll ever drink. For me, it's nice, thirst-quenching treat.

Our Tart Peach Kölsch is a fresh take on one of our very first beers. The juicy aroma and flavor of ripe peach complements the subtle fruitiness from the Kölsch yeast in this bright, refreshing ale. Add a tickle of tartness to round out the senses, and you get a new brew that’s interestingly delightful.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche Neo-Berliner Style

Dogfish Head Festina Peche Neo-Berliner Weisse Style. Tart summer session sour. 4.5 % alc. by vol. 8 IBU. Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE.

A refreshing neo-BerlinerWeisse fermented with honest-to-goodness peaches to (get this!) 4.5% abv! Because extreme beers don't have to be extremely boozy! Available in 4-pack and draft during the sweaty months

Clear, light peach-toned appearance, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweetness and fruit are first, then along comes sour. Very promising.

In the mouth: Pucker kicks it off, with lush peach flavors coming in after. Tart. refreshing, light in body.  Nicely balanced, not too anything, just right. Not a trace of bitterness, and not too sweet. Crisp and tasty. I'm enjoying this, and you know what? I do recommend it.

I wonder what I said about it 10 years ago? This was posted on BeerAdvocate in February of 2008:

"In a spiffy Belgian tulip-type glass...

Hazed faint peach/pear appearance, nice, if slim slab of white foam above.

Effervescence at large in aroma, light fruit, again, peach and pear, ...pilsner-like...slightly sweet, slightly dry.

Taste: sour, puckering, spritzy, ...citric, tart, then dry...like pear champagne. Light bodied, light finish, too...and the flavor's not doing it for me.

Boy, I've been meaning to try this for a long time, grabbed a bottlle in Wisconsin that was foul, and now this time...not crazy about this. It's probably as good as it should be, but, clearly, it's not pushing my buttons.

It's actually growing on me as I finish it. Would make a nice
dessert brew. Sparkling, dry, and a little fruity. Good. Not great."

A different take, to be sure. Did the beer change or did I? Maybe both. I've certainly learned to appreciate it more.

And here's what the brewery wants to tell you:

A refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse, Festina Peche is available in 4-packs and on draft during the sweaty months.

Sadly, there are only a few breweries left in Berlin still brewing the Berliner Weisse style, which is characterized by its intense tartness (some say sour). There were once over 70 breweries in Berlin alone making this beer!

In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic (or green apple-like) character. Served as an apertif or summertime quencher, Festina is delicately hopped and has a pale straw color. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup.

In Festina Peche, since the natural peach sugars are eaten by the yeast, the fruit complexity is woven into both the aroma and the taste of the beer so there is no need to doctor it with woodruff or raspberry syrup. Just open and enjoy!