Parallel 49 / Moody Ales Purple Haze Sour / Wild Ale at 8% ABV (C$2.29 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 341 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 16-Apr-2016, reviewed 26-May-2016)
Appearance: clear deep ruby with one finger of fine light purple head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tart field berries, candi sugar, wheat and mild yeast. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate tart, light bitter. (7/10) Medium-light body, lively carbonation, short duration slightly sticky tart finish. (3/5)
Similar, both visually and flavour-wise, to a lot of frambozen or kriek I’ve tried. More than anything, though, it reminds me of the Black Market Tradecraft Sour Blackberry – which was so massively sour that one would be my limit, so I opined that a heavier body and ABV would realistically be possible. In a lot of ways, this is pretty much that beer, although the tartness is nowhere near as emphatic, and it’s missing the little funk that was present in the Tradecraft. Still, it’s not badly done and the fruit flavour is neither cloying nor artificial-tasting – although in my opinion it’s more generalised field berry, and maybe cherry, than clearly blackberry. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
