Tag Archives: mild sour ale

Noctis – Torchlight Brewing

by Mike

From Torchlight Brewing in Nelson BC comes their “Noctis” a dark lavender hibiscus sour.  The beer pours a deep red brown colour with a brown head.  The aroma consists of floral hops, hibiscus, fruits and mild tartness.  The flavour is of hibiscus, citrus, stone fruit, flowery and mild sour notes.   The alcohol content comes in at 6% with an IBU of 8.  This was a very interesting beer.  This is a mild sour but would be a great one to try if you are just getting into sours.

Commercial Description:  This dark, dry-hopped, kettle soured, lavender, hibiscus hybrid is one of the more intricate beers made here at Torchlight.

 

Sahalie – The Ale Apothecary

by Mike

Located in Bend Oregon is a brewery that plays it just a little different.  This brewery is called “The Ale Apothecary” and its motto is “Vintage-batch, barrel by barrel.  Cottage instead of factory.  Flavor before efficiency.  Love prior to spreadsheets.”  The beer isn’t cheap and it is just as hard to find as it is expensive but if you get lucky like we did in BC with a small number of boxes landing in our stores you are in for a treat!  My first foray into their beers was their flagship beer called the “Sahalie” a mixed fermentation ale.  The beer pours a cloudy orange colour with a very fizzy champagne like carbonation and a white head.  The aroma consists of fruity esters, some funkiness and spices.  The flavour was of a funky sour up front with fruity esters, citrus, citrus rind, grapes, apples, oak with a sweet tart finish.  The flavour is not hugely sour or tart but is very well balanced.  The alcohol content varies from batch to batch from 9-11% alcohol and this bottle came in at 10.11%.  The crazy part about this beer is that you do not notice an ounce of this alcohol in the beer.  It does not have a warming effect or an alcoholic flavour.  This is an extremely well crafted mild sour ale.

Commercial Description:  SAHALIE is the flagship brand of The Ale Apothecary, brewed year-round of malted barley & wheat and Goschie Farms Cascade Hops. Hop bitterness and acid produced by our house lactobacillus culture provide the balance to the malt and oak structure of the beer. She spends up to 1 year in our oak barrels during a long, relaxed fermentation prior to a month-long dry-hopping (yes, in oak barrels!). 
Our sensory experience is a tropical & citrus fruit nose of apricots, pineapple, and orange produced from yeast esters and hop oils. The palate is tart and pithy, combining earthy and herbal undertones that evolve as the beer warms & opens up within your glass.

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