BJCP 2021 / 28B
Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer
A sour, funky beer where the microbes shape the profile more than the base style does.
- Ages well
- wild fermentation
- north america
- craft style
- specialty beer
Serve: 48 to 54F, Tulip or wine glass
The BJCP gives no numbers. Follow the base style the brewer declares.
Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Sour, funky and wild notes at moderate to strong levels
- Several aromas layered together
- Inviting and mellow
- Vague
- Sour
- Better
- Tart and funky
- Best
- Moderate lemon-like tartness with layered barnyard, hay and ripe fruit, balanced and inviting
Appearance
3 pts- Follows the base style
- Haze is fine
- Head retention is often poor
- Vague
- Cloudy
- Better
- Hazy amber
- Best
- Color of the base beer, slight haze, thin head that disappears quickly
Flavor
20 pts- Sourness that ranges from mild to sharp
- Funk and fruit from the microbes
- Low bitterness
- Vague
- Sour
- Better
- Clean acidity with funk
- Best
- Firm, pleasant acidity with ripe fruit and light barnyard, malt in the background, low bitterness, no vinegar
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Light body, lighter than the base suggests
- Moderate to high carbonation
- Lower fizz in stronger examples
- Vague
- Thin
- Better
- Light and tart
- Best
- Light body, moderate-high carbonation, acidity that refreshes rather than burns
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Complexity
- Acidity with fruit behind it
Drops it
- Vinegar
- Sharp, one-note sourness
Writing tip
Say what the acid tastes like. Example: 'Lemony acidity over hay and ripe fruit. Sharp but clean, no vinegar.'
Pour these
- Oro de CalabazaJolly PumpkinTart, oaky and funky
- TemptationRussian RiverChardonnay-barrel sour, bright and complex
- Le TerroirNew BelgiumDry-hopped sour with citrus and funk
Often confused with
- 28A Brett BeerBrett Beer has funk without much acid
- 23E GueuzeFlanders Red has a malt-driven, wine-like sourness
Fine here
- Sour/Acidic: Sourness is the point, as lactic acid
- Musty: Light cellar and hay notes fit
Ruinous here
- Sour/Acidic: Sharp acetic vinegar
- Solvent: Ethyl acetate nail polish
- Sulfur: Rotten egg
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.