Every so often you come across a beer that is so garishly thriving in the world beyond your dad’s mass-produced lagers that you can’t help but feel a little offended. That was the case for me when I opened my four-pack of It’s Strawberry Time Candy Strawberry Sour by Rocks Brewing Co. It’s tall, it’s pink, it’s got little strawberries on the tin smiling at you. Let’s do this.
Pouring a frosty pink that you may associate with strawberry margaritas and creaming soda with ice cream, It’s Strawberry Time boasts a luscious head reminiscent of beaten cream, possibly due to added lactose. The aromas are subtle but recognisable: sweet strawberry lollies that already have your teeth aching.
Although the appearance is all summer, the taste is robust and complex, making the beer suitable for drinking in colder weather. This is in part due to the alcohol content – 6.6 percent ABV makes it 2.6 standard drinks per can – while a silky creaminess mingles with native strawberry gum and vanilla bean to create flavours resembling an Eton Mess hand-crushed by Jamie Oliver himself. Mosaic hops and acidulated malts have also been invited to the party to act as the parental chaperone reminding the other ingredients that they are indeed in a beer.
I've heard people talk about "Fireplace Stouts" to be enjoyed in winter and, with It’s Strawberry Time, Rocks might have put themselves first on the list of "Fireplace Sours". No offence taken.
Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Published April 21, 2023 2023-04-21 00:00:00
