You asked for it​, and you got it.

Sharing beer and beer knowledge is one of my

favorite things to do, so for your birthday I think your idea was perfect. I chose the bottles I did
based on your preferences to certain beers we’ve had before. The last time I brought you a
bottle specially for you, it was ​Funky Gold Mosaic ​from Prairie Artisan Ales in Oklahoma. That is
what is known as a dry-hopped sour beer, meaning that after the beer has been brewed and
fermented, an addition of hops is added for a number of days to provide an extra burst of flavor
and bitterness. In that case it was Mosaic hops, which are known for their floral, tropical, fruity
flavors they impart. I have included 2 bottles of dry-hopped sour beers that both use different
hop varietals, so you’ll be able to see how they differ from one another.

Take your time with these, sip and savor them. If you have them in the fridge, take them out and
let them warm up a bit so they aren’t too cold when you start to drink them. Too cold and you
won’t be able to taste all they have to offer. ​I cannot stress this point enough; let the beers
warm up.​ You could also let each one sit for about ten minutes in the glass after you’ve poured
it to let it warm up that way. You don’t want it “warm”, obviously, you just don’t want it too cold.
And honestly, once you get almost to the end, maybe ⅔ of the way through each beer, let it sit a
little longer so you can taste it closer to room temperature. Different flavors become more
pronounced the warmer a beer gets, especially fruit flavors when there is fruit involved. Hold the
glass in your hand, let your own heat bring the temperature of the beer up, it’s a sensory
experience, take part in it.

And just to get you started on the right foot, The Rare Barrel (sour beer brewery in Berkeley)
recommends the 3 sip rule for sour beer.

1. The first sip will shock your palate, because it’s sour, obviously. Take the first sip and
move the beer around your mouth before you swallow it.
2. The second sip will start to awaken your palate as it acclimates to the sour.
3. By the third sip, your palate should be acclimated and ready for you to really get the
most from what the beer has to offer.

Important to know: Brettanomyces is a wild yeast strain found naturally on the skins of fruits,
commonly harvested and cultured for brewing. Brett does not make a beer sour, per se, but it
contributes a characteristic funk commonly found in sour beers. The souring function is carried
out by certain bacteria added to beers specifically for that purpose.

Happy birthday dude, I hope you enjoy this.

1) ​Funky Gold Amarillo
Prairie Artisan Ales (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
BeerAdvocate score: 92/100

From Prairie: ​Funky Gold Amarillo is the second beer in our dry-hopped sour ale series.
We took our sour golden ale, Gold, and gave it a heavy dosing of Amarillo hops. The
result is a beer that is a mix of tropical fruit and Prairie funk. Notes of peach, orange,
white wine, and citrusy brett can be found in the flavor and aroma.

I am having you start with this one because it provides a familiar jumping-off point. You
loved ​Funky Gold Mosaic​, so here is the same base-beer, dry-hopped with a different
hop varietal, Amarillo. Amarillo hops are known for their fruity flavors, much like Mosaic,
but there are differences in how they are expressed. As you see in the tasting notes, you
should pick up on some peach and citrus flavors, along with some white wine dryness
and Brett funk to keep the sweetness in check.

2) ​Nancy
Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
BeerAdvocate score: 95/100

From Allagash: ​This beer is a sour red ale fermented with Maine cherries and
Brettanomyces in stainless for almost a year. The cherries were a blend of Balaton and
Montmorency cherries and were added at a rate of 2lbs per gallon. Copper in color,
Nancy has an aroma of cherries, bread crust and a touch of cinnamon. The flavor is a
medley of tart cherry, citrus and pie spice. We think you'll dig it!

That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the beer. By “in stainless”,
they are referring to the fermentation process once the beer has already been brewed.
Instead of being fermented in oak barrels like a lot of sour beers are, this was fermented
in stainless steel tanks. Stainless steel does not impart any flavor components at all like
the oak does. Oak typically lends some vanilla flavors to liquids held in them (think
bourbon), and if they are using barrels that previously held spirits or wine, they contribute
flavors from those as well. Also, stainless steel is super sterile, so nothing but the beer
will be present in the bottle, as the brewers intended for it to be tasted.

3) ​Wild Wild Brett: Batch 100

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project (Denver, CO)
BeerAdvocate score: 95/100

100% Barrel-fermented with Brettanomyces, brewed with Centennial hops and

kumquats, dry-hopped with Centennial hops. Centennial hops are known for their floral
and citrusy characteristics, which complement the kumquats very nicely.
I thought this would be the best bottle to end on because it provides a good synthesis of
some points you now know and have experienced regarding sour beer. The dry-hopping
we know you are a fan of, and the Centennial hop is a departure from the fruitier Mosaic
and Amarillo you’ve had before, as it is a little earthier in addition to the citrus flavors it
contributes. Also, you started with a dry-hopped sour, then had a fruited sour, now you’re
finishing with a dry-hopped, fruited sour. Perfect, now your palate is better prepared to
taste all the elements of this beer both separately and together. You’ll be able to taste
the hops and the fruit independently and then how they come together to make
something really incredible. Also, this is barrel-fermented, so there are added flavors
from the barrel present in this beer. All in all, a very complex but delicious bottle from
one of the best sour beer producers in the world. See what other flavors you can pick out
while you drink this, most of the time you can taste flavors of things that aren’t even in
the beer (peach, grapefruit, mango, pineapple, grass, etc.)

Okay dude, that’s it, I think I have covered as much of these beers as I could, I hope you
enjoyed all of them and that my notes contributed positively to the experience. I’m
excited for you to be so into sour beer, because my dad and Phil are definitely not. The
more you know about what you’re drinking, the more you can appreciate and enjoy when
you taste other sour beers down the road. And as you know, I have many special bottles
that I have in mind for sharing with you, but we’ll get there. For now, I’m glad I could
contribute to your birthday enjoyment, and I will see you soon ya old bitch.