One Drop Brewing Apricot Sour & Redcurrant, Raspberry & Rosella Sour

When you approach a beer called Apricot Sour, you expect certain things. When you hear that the brewer used 220g of house-made apricot puree per litre of beer, those expectations get boosted. Intense aromas matching those of an orchard at fruit picking time. Cloudy appearance, almost opaque, with a deep orange heart. Nectar-like consistency, squeezing through your teeth with thick apricot sweetness. A tempered sourness balancing the flavours, and ensuring they hit every corner of your palate. Expectations exceeded.

First impressions of the Redcurrant, Raspberry & Rosella Sour are overwhelmingly of strong raspberry cordial; the vibrant ruby colour and sugary raspberry aroma almost have you wondering whether this will be a childish drink. But the tang and tartness of the kettle souring soon does away with that, dispelling some of the sweetness and opening up more complex flavours. Floral undertones, a refreshing hit of lacto and a hint of blackcurrant all lead to a tannic feel on the tongue from the three weeks this beer spent resting on berry skins.

Mick Wust