Photo courtesy of thebeerdiaries.tv

Fresh off their medal win at the CBAs last week for their Kettle Sour #1 (read here), what do you know but the folks at Blindman Brewing go and release Kettle Sour #2. In the movie world the sequel is rarely as good as the original, but why do I suspect that rule doesn’t apply here?

My understanding is that Blindman plans to redo a kettle sour every few months with different hop additions and other tweaks to shift the flavour and profile of the beer. For those who don’t know, a kettle sour is a quick-form sour beer where the unboiled wort is soured in the brew kettle (often simply with the addition of yogurt and time) and then boiled to kill off the lactobacillus. The beer is then fermented as normal.

Kettle Sour #1 clearly was a hit, given its medal haul. So, what about the sequel?

#2 is brewed with Galaxy hops and a new, experimental, tropical-accented hop variety called 06277. It pours pale straw and is lightly hazy. It forms a big, bubbly white head. The aroma has a strong, sweet citrus of passionfruit, mango and lemon along with a touch of light graininess. Sour aroma is present but surprisingly understated.

The start of the taste is fresh lemon, light grassiness and grain, and a moderate sour edge. The middle is fruity with a rounded citrus character and a touch of berry fruit. The finish leans toward the sour, with a light sharp puckering quality, but the citrus fruitiness never really goes away. The result is a very balanced, extremely summery beer.

I can tell you one thing. This beer will be a very popular summer quaffer.The combination of the fresh, refreshing citrus fruit and the lightly tart finishing will go very well on decks and patios on hot sunny days. The sequel is not as sour as #1 – or at least that is the impression that it leaves – but the added lemony note makes it very refreshing and balanced.

In many ways the citrus fruit flavours will make this a very accessible sour ale. Sour purists may feel it lacks a complex tartness that sets traditional sour beer apart. However, I think those critiques miss the point. They aren’t going for a classic Belgian-style sour. They are experimenting with different approaches to create a light, refreshing sour beer.

In a sharp departure from Hollywood, not only is Part 2 just as good as Part 1 I find myself waiting with anticipation for the release of #3. Who ever does that with movies?