Sour Beers

[pretzel]

I am trying to get into sour beers, but dont really know what I am looking to buy. Can anyone give me some suggestions of what to go out and find. Ive picked up all the lambics and they are alright, kind of sweet (the wife likes them), but I would like to try some great ones.
Thanks for the help

[straight cash homey]

the dissident is a good sour beer made by deschutes brewery that is available if youre on the west coast. its an oud bruin

[Nate Diggler]

Struise Dirty Horse, Earthmonk,
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Duchesse De Bourgogne
New Belgium La Folie
Monks Café Flemish Sour Red Ale

Haven't had any of the Russian River stuff here in PA, but from all accounts, they also rock

[pretzel]

Im out in MD this week, anything that I should try and grab while on the east coast that I cant get back home in Seattle

[Mylo]

Lindeman's is the entry point. Most of them are too sweet. The only one I can still drink is the Cassis - which doesn't seem as sweet to me. Boon and St. Louis are middle of the road sourness. Great beers. Cantillion non blended lambics are "rip your face off" sour. Really good, but you best be packing the tums. Their gueze is one of my favorite guezes. Very complex and not as sour, due to the blend. There are a few other commercially available sours that are pretty good and fall into the flemish/flanders area - Zoetzuur's and Reinhaerts.

If price was no object, however, I would have Petedadink send me a couple cases of RR Supplication. That stuff is just so awesome.


Mylo

[Bellmer]

One of my favorite breweries that you could try (possibly) is Jolly Pumpkin. I think everything they make is sour, and they are pretty widely available. They also contract brew for a couple of people, like Leelanau (non-sour, but the one I had was really tasty still). Personally, my favorite Jolly Pumpkin is La Roja. It has a beautiful clean sour that won't melt your face. Caution on their beers, every one that I have ever had has been a gusher, even when well chilled.

The Lindeman's Gueze is a decent introduction gueze to get you into some of the more sour stuff. It is a good gateway because it is less sour than most guezes, is widely available, and more affordable than most guezes. That is the only Lindeman's I like really, though the fruit ones are much better when on tap (as are a number of beers). Boon makes another amazing Gueze.

I agree with the recommendation of Rodenbach, though if you're just starting out, you might want to try the normal Rodenbach before the Grand Cru (if you do get into sours, then Grand Cru is liquid gold). They remain one of my absolute favorite beers, and are almost as widely available as Lindeman's.

If you can find Captain Lawrence on the east coast (they're from new york), they make a couple decent sours.

Or make a huge detour to Wisconsin to get New Glarus. It would be worth it (alternatively, you might be able to trade someone for it). The ladies tend to love New Glarus as well.

[im1dermike]

Duchesse De Bourgogne
Monks Café Flemish Sour Red Ale

+1

I was surprised to see someone suggest Monk's Sour Ale (absolutely fantastic beer and one that got me into sours recently). Nice to see another SE PA brewer out there Nate. I'm in Manayunk. I think I saw you're an ALEien, no? I'd love to join that club, but the meetings are just too far away for me I think.

[crupp]

One of my favorite breweries that you could try (possibly) is Jolly Pumpkin. I think everything they make is sour, and they are pretty widely available. They also contract brew for a couple of people, like Leelanau (non-sour, but the one I had was really tasty still). Personally, my favorite Jolly Pumpkin is La Roja. It has a beautiful clean sour that won't melt your face. Caution on their beers, every one that I have ever had has been a gusher, even when well chilled.

+1000

You have to love what Ron is doing there.