Style: Fruited Sour
ABV: 5.5%
Nick’s Take (with Joe in spirit)
New Release Friday – the best way to kick off the weekend (in my humble, unbiased opinion). We’re back in Winterville, NC this week to review a brand new fruited sour at Local Oak Brewing Co., down the road from Nauti Dog Brewing Co. If you didn’t read last week’s review, check it out here! Joe and I stopped by Local Oak and tasted their newest brew, which is a fruited sour called “Back to the Fuchsia.” As is typical for this brewery, the beer name itself is clever and fun, and the quality of the beer is high. However, this sour was unique in comparison to their other releases in this style, so it makes a great subject for review. Joe and I realized from our tasting notes that we were so similar that it felt redundant to both post this week – so y’all are stuck with just me.
One of the obvious standout attributes of “Back to the Fuchsia” is the color of the brew. In the dim lighting by our table, it was difficult to appreciate the hues of red and pink – some might say, fuchsia – so I held the glass up toward some light. This brought out a nice sheen and showed that it wasn’t completely opaque, as a little light snuck through the edges. It resembled the flesh of a ruby red grapefruit and looked really juicy. A thin white/light pink head persisted for a while before retreating to the walls of the glass for the remainder of the tasting.
Our buddy, Nick (no relation), was pouring beers for the evening and served us “Back to the Fuchsia” in tulip glasses. This was paramount for bringing out all the tart, sweet, and subtle aromas in the brew. It was not strong-smelling at first, but over time produced more distinct aromas. There were initial scents of tart berry, like that of raspberry and cranberry, as well as acidity and some sweetness. Later in the beer, I found some sweet cherry on the nose, and was questioning if there was a touch of citrus – grapefruit, perhaps? Or, was my mind playing tricks on me based on my visualization of the beer?
As I took my first sip, my taste buds were greeted by a splash of carbonation that gave a spritzy characteristic to the beer. I enjoyed this along with the juiciness that I was hoping for, given the appealing fruity, juicy color. I’d say “Back to the Fuchsia” was medium-bodied and refreshing. There was also a notable amount of mouthcoating from the acidity, but it wasn’t thick or unpalatable.
The recipe for this fruited sour highlights dragon fruit, though I have not personally tasted dragon fruit. My own tasting notes included some raspberry, a good amount of tartness balanced by sweetness on the backend, and juicy cherries. The flavor definitely had some complexity between the tart, the sweet, and the fruit, so it was nice to bounce thoughts off of Joe. He was the first to question whether he was tasting cherry, and after I got a little deeper into my own tasting, I was detecting myself. Then again, maybe it was also the power of suggestion. Overall, I would describe it like a cherry juice cocktail that had added tart berries. The acidity upfront was mild and short lived, which allowed the fruit flavors to come through nicely. Local Oak mentions that dragon fruit beckons flavors of kiwi, pear, pomegranate, and raspberry, so your palate may detect some nuances that we missed!
Local Oak has created some great sours and fruited sours over their tenure in Winterville, and it’s the same story here with “Back to the Fuchsia.” It’s packed with juicy flavor, it’s crisp, and it’s very easy to drink while giving that pleasant bit of tartness. It would be a great option for someone new to sour beer, or beer in general, as it isn’t overly sour or acidic. This beer just dropped at Local Oak, so hurry to the brewery to say hello and grab a pint! Cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Ruby red grapefruit color with fleeting white-to-pink head. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Sour, tart berries. Cherry. Maybe grapefruit? (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Pleasant carbonation, spritzy. Medium-bodied and juicy. Mild mouthcoating. (4/5)
Taste: Lemon, raspberries, cherry juice, medium tartness. (4/5)
Drinkability: A juicy and crisp fruited sour. Very easy to drink!(4.5/5)
Total: 21/25
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