Starr Hill Brewery | Say It Ain’t Sour
Well, our friends up in Charlottesville are at it again. This time they’ve created a 12 pack of mixed sours. I love a mixed 12 pack as much as the next guy but a 12 pack of sours made me pause. Three of the four are from the gose family, which I dig and the fourth is just labeled a straight up American sour.
While I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a 12 pack of sours like this, I think we’d be remiss if we walked on by. Let’s jump in and check ’em out.
Roxanne | Raspberry American Sour: I opened this one first as, I’ll be honest, I figured it’d be the one I didn’t like. It pours a a hue more on the pink side of things with a big, white head. The malt bill calls for pilsner, wheat and vienna – making it is as light as it sounds. Hallertau rounds our the hoppy side of things which means the hop profile of this beer is also on the lighter side – perhaps some slight hop spice. Overall, it’s the raspberries that win our here. At a very low 4.7% ABV, this beer is more than drinkable and would pair well with a hot summer day. Carbonation is on the high side and while this may say “sour” in the name, I’d say it’s subtly sour and sweet to match. Refreshing and for this ole snob, surprising.
Mariah | Passion Fruit Gose: I may forever associate the word “gose” with the beach thanks to my first interaction with the style. It should come as no surprise that as I took my first sip, I’m thinking about the beach right now. This beer pours a gold color, cloudy with a nice head that doesn’t hang around. While this gose shares the same malt and hop bill as our first beer, where it differs is in the passion fruit addition. There’s some sweetness here and a hint of spice but I’m also finding a fun sour and sweet interaction that keeps me coming back for the next sip. Nicely done but not overpowering. The body is light, low carbonation. Man, I’m ready for the beach.
Lola | Guava Gose: In our second gose, we find a very champagne-esq appearance. It has a bubbly head, very light and clear yellow color and on the nose I find the guava notes I expected intertwined with that familiar tart note of the gose. On the tongue this beer is certainly more tart than the previous beer. The palate is coated well and the beer lingers on the tongue finishing a bit dry. This beer is more guava than gose but still, a very fun beer.
Lizzy | Lime Gose: Sometimes you can just look at a beer label and know you’re going to dig it. Not sure what it was about this beer but maybe it was the lime or the color perhaps. I saved it for last as I figured it’d be my favorite. Let’s check it out. This beer pours a gold color, unfiltered, with nice head that disappeared pretty quick. On the nose I find a subtle but fresh lime scent. I like that the aroma isn’t overpowering. I’m reminded of when my wife adds just a touch of lime to guacamole. On the tongue the lime compliments the gose very well, neither overpowering the other. The beer coats the palate well, light body, refreshing. The only thing that would make this beer better right now is my wife’s guacamole!
Final Snobs: A great set of beer from Starr Hill. These will all pair very well with summer activities from cookouts to time on the lake. Roxanne pleasantly surprised me, Mariah and Lola were certainly memorable and Lizzy was everything I hoped for. Don’t walk on by when you see this 12 pack!
Cheers!