NoDa Brewing Company “Whiskey Sour”

Style: Golden Sour Ale
ABV: 6.9%

This week’s “NC Beer of the Week” selection is one that definitely shakes things up a bit. We’ve had our share of imperial stouts and NEIPAs as of late, so we thought “why not taste something off the beaten path?” Mission accomplished, as we are reviewing NoDa Brewing Company’s “Whiskey Sour” golden sour ale. What makes this brew so unique is that NoDa took a sour ale and aged it for 10 months in bourbon barrels to add some complexity and replicate flavors found in your classic whiskey sour. This Charlotte brewery has created a wide variety of delicious beers over the years, but this was certainly the most inspired brew we’ve come across from them. As fans of the cocktail, we took no time deciding to grab a couple bottles from Tapped to try for ourselves.

Joe’s Take

Whiskey sour…but a beer? Who could resist that? I know it was hard for me to. Thankfully we drank it for the review this week so I didn’t have to wait very long to give it a try. “Whiskey Sour” poured a color reminiscent of a worn copper penny. The beer was quite clear and only managed to create a small, loose, bubbly head on a vigorous pour. 

The aroma immediately struck me as though I was sniffing a glass of dry white wine. With sweet fruity/grape like aromas hitting my nose first, I had a hard time picking up any notes of whiskey or vanilla imparted from the bourbon barrels. I did detect a brettanomyces-like funk that gave the aroma a bit more character. 

Mouthfeel was sharp, tart, and acidic. The beer was light-bodied and drying on the finish. The sourness pulled through with a tongue tingling bite to finish the sip. The experience lent itself to small sips with time in between to wake your tastebuds up from the dizzying blow. 

The taste of the beer led me to wonder if my tastebuds were broken or my bottle was stored in less than ideal conditions before purchase. After the experience, I discussed it with Nick who had few similarities in flavor. I wasn’t able to detect any notes from the bourbon barrel aging but got all the sour that the name implied. I had heavy notes of brettanomyces-like barnyard funk but missed out on the oaky and woody flavors that Nick detected in his tasting. To me, it was like I ordered a whiskey sour but asked them to hold the whiskey.  

This lip puckering experience limited drinkability to a degree and made the tasting a session of small sips, tasting the beer as it warmed to see if there were any changes in the flavor profile. I may have to try this one again to see if the next bottle I get matches more of the experience described by Nick.

Nick’s Take

I was disappointed to learn that Joe and I had some different tasting experiences. Generally, we are on the same page or at least have similar notes, but this tasting/review showed stark contrasts in our perceptions.

The color of “Whiskey Sour” reminded me of a gold and amber hybrid, with just the slightest amount of haze in the beer. The head that formed was bubbly and soft-looking, and it didn’t leave me a lot of time to observe before it ebbed to the sides of the glass.

Where Joe and I seemed to be most similar was in the aroma, though I benefited from some additional notes. The sharp acidic and sour aromas came through strongly, and it did appear as something close to a dry white wine. However, deeper inhalations and some persistence brought forth some of those bourbon barrel contributions – mostly oak/wood. Lastly, I found a little sweetness on the nose, but can’t say with certainty that it was vanilla (as suggested).

The beer itself had a light to medium body, but with a burst of acidity and carbonation. It was an exciting mouthfeel and encouraged me to go in for another sip immediately. After two to three sips, there was noticeable drying taking place, but some buildup/mouthcoating as well.

The sour part of “Whiskey Sour” steals the show, to no one’s surprise. I definitely got some of that funk Joe mentioned (common with brettanomyces in beer) but it’s not off-putting in moderation. I was luckily able to taste that oaky, bourbon-like flavor in the ale, too. I think the level of tartness was appropriate and representative of a whiskey sour, but definitely with an emphasis on the mix-ins and not the liquor.

I enjoyed my bottle of “Whiskey Sour” and hope that Joe only fell victim to a bottle that became tainted or ruined after packaging. This is something that can occur, and since I can say that my bottle produced a tasty sour ale, I’d still recommend this to fans of sour beers and whiskey sours. It was certainly not hard to drink, but due to the high level of acidity and sourness, it is best to sip and enjoy slowly. Splitting a 500 mL bottle would be the perfect plan to execute (though I consumed the whole bottle myself). If you’ve had this or give it a shot, let us know your feedback!