Anyone that follows this blog knows that I’m a big fan of barrel aged sours. That also means that I follow the release of barrel sours very closely, and none more closely than Central City’s sour series. The sour series has consistently been excellent, and I’m happy to share that Sour III is soon to be released!
Let’s recap for a moment. Sour I was a brown ale aged for 2 years in a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and French oak foeders; Sour II was a Kriek, a Belgian style Sour Red Ale infused with cherries again aged for two years in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and French oak foeders. Sour III follows the trend but with a unique twist.
Sour Framboise III is a traditional Belgian-style sour infused with local raspberries and aged for more than two years in a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and French oak Foeders. Long maturation on the berries, combined with the sour culture mix of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus produces a very complex beer with tart raspberry notes up front, and a dry finish with notes of grass and hay.
Think of Sour III like a full bodied wine or port. I loved the addition of cherries to Sour II, so the maturation of local raspberries for this latest edition is sure to please.
Now, expect to see Sour III on store shelves soon, but don’t expect it to last long. Both of the previous releases sold very quickly, and with more than just myself watching closely on this series, expect this to move just as quickly.
Ale/Sessions 