The only constant in life is change.
As I experience more and more styles and brands of beer, I find that my preference seems to change over time. I used to like lagers and then lost my taste for them, but then I'd try a particular lager and it would have me rethink my animosity toward that biscuity style. I didn't care for wheat ales at one time but now I have a healthy respect for them that borders on admiration.
I used to love pumpkin-spiced beer but now can't stand pumpkin-spiced anything, save for a homemade pumpkin pie (and only at Thanksgiving).
The first time that I tried sour ales, I wasn't a fan. I could appreciate them for what they were but often passed them up, not liking that lip-puckering tartness.
Every once and a while, I would try a sour ale and be pleasantly surprised by the hint of sour that blended perfectly with ripe citrus or other bold fruit flavours. Those are the types of sour beer that make me appreciate this style.
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| Me and my buddy, Marc. |
It was good to see Layton, who used to deliver beer to my doorstep, but now has other duties at the brewery. My friends and I picked a brew and sat at one of the tables in the taproom.
I started with a jalapeno pale ale that went down nicely. The jalapeno was mild at first, but over time I could feel a slight burn at the back of the throat. It was a great start to our session.
Next, I enquired about a sour that they were pouring and asked just how sour it was. Not overly, I was told, and so I gave it a try. I liked it so much that I grabbed six cans to take home.
My tastes they are a'changin'.
Bicycle Craft Brewery
Ottawa, ON
Appearance: an unfiltered, bright apricot-yellow, with a white foamy head that settles to a dense lace, and then fades to almost nothing but extremely fine effervescent bubbles on the surface.
Nose: lush lemon citrus and a trace of pineapple, with overtones of... now, hear me out... tobacco. Not burning tobacco, but much akin to a dry, wine-dipped cigar. I'm thinking of Colts.
I thought I was crazy when I first detected tobacco in my glass, and I wondered if it was because I was a bit stuffed up (it's ragweed season) or if there were other smells that I was picking up from the brewery (though, I didn't sense this aroma in any of the other beer that I sampled). Nearly a week later, in the comfort of my home, I still get this scent. If you've had this ale and share this sensation, let me know in the Comments section. I'd love to hear from Fariborz or someone else at the brewery.
Palate: sharp lemon hits me straight off and is immediately followed by a sourness that is subtle but present. The added lactobacillus is obvious but doesn't make me pucker up. It's like a fresh-squeezed lemonade that is light on sugar. That wine-dipped cigar sensation does carry through in the finish but is tempered with the dry hops. The finish is short and palate-cleansing.
Overall impression: Flux leaves me scratching my head. I like the citrussy mouthfeel and the easy-going sourness but I can't shake the tobacco overtones, which doesn't detract from the overall pleasantness of this ale but doesn't help it, either. It's almost a distraction, but then I taste the other flavours and everything seems fine.
After all, I did pick up a 6-pack (and have consumed half, already).
I used to belong to a cigar club (with one of my buddies who joined me at Bicycle Craft, last week) and do enjoy the aromas of a cigar (though, I gave them up decades ago). But do I want that flavour in my beer? My opinion on this ale is in flux.
Maybe, for this dry-hopped sour, I do want that wine-dipped cigar flavour, because I'll continue to drink it for as long as it's available.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺
Flux is a limited release, so order it while you can and let me know your impressions. Bicycle Craft Brewery offers free delivery in Ottawa for orders of $100 or more (orders of $40 or more are charged only $5 to ship), and you can, of course, pick it up from their taproom. They also deliver throughout Ontario for a nominal fee.
Cheers!
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