This innovative beer has been brewed to celebrate the 5 th edition of Beer Geek Madness – North Side. The freezing North brings to mind the fruit sour ale style with a strong (for sour beers) extract of over 15 plato. The beer has been acidified with lactic acid bacteria. Light in colour, the extract has been produced mostly by wheat flakes. Cranberries intensify sour taste and ass some unique sharpness.

Salamander Cinnamon and Citrus Cranberry Sour Ale Porto and Bourbon B.A. 2018 This exceptional cranberry sour ale has a neutral and cereal base produced by very light malts and wheat flakes. Cranberry juice and frozen cranberry fruits have enhanced its sour flavour on top of fruitiness and astringency. Since the beer aged in oakwood Porto barrels the aromas of cranberries and raspberries as well as vanilla have been released. Yet, the most surprising ingredients are cinnamon and citrus zests.

Style

As the name suggests, the fruit sour ale is a strong, fruity, and sour beer style. The beer is strong as for sour beers (over 15 plato), sour as a result of being acidified by lactic acid bacteria, and light in colour as its extract has been produced mostly by wheat flakes. Cranberries added in the form of pressed juice intensify sour taste and ass some unique sharpness. It’s an innovative idea to age the beer in Porto barrels with the addition of cinnamon and dry citric fruit.

The beer is different from anything you have tried before. Light malts and wheat flakes have produced a neutral and cereal foundations. Cranberries have intensified its sour flavour and added some unique astringency. No one can stay impervious to this intensely sour, citrus and cinnamon brew aged in Porto barrels. It’s a special treat that’s rarely brewed. This time we have added cranberry juice and frozen cranberry fruit to enhance flavours.

Malts/ grist:

A very light grist made of Pilsner and wheat malts plus oat flakes which have produced natural base for bacteria acidity and fruity profile of cranberries.

Hops:

Sour flavours enhance the mouthfeel of bitter hoppy compounds. This is the reason why hopping is quite limited as for this extract. We have added most of the hops at the end of the boiling process to preserve the citrus flavour and unique aroma of the American hop Citra.

Bacteria:

Lactic acid bacteria, which produce the specific acidity of the beer, are a trademark of this style. They can be found in bread starters, kefirs, or yoghurts. The lactic acid that they produce intensifies sour flavours of the beer and enriches its refreshing effect.

Ingredients:

Cranberry juice and frozen cranberry: We add pressed cranberry juice, 100% natural, and frozen immediately after harvest, cranberry – without preservatives or sweeteners. This time we added them twice – before pouring into the barrel and just before bottling.

Cranberries and frozen cranberries:

We have added freshly pressed 100% natural cranberry juice and frozen cranberries without any preservatives or sweeteners. This time we have added them twice: before pouring the brew into barrels and before bottling.

Cinnamon:

freshly ground cinnamon added right before bottling

Citrus zest:

a real firecracker filled with fresh, juicy aromas of orange, lemon, and grapefruit peels added right before bottling to produce fresh, almost electrifying aroma.

• Style: Fruit and Spice Sour Ale (Barrel Aged)
• Parameters
  • Extract: 15,5 %
  • Alcohol: 6,5 %
  • IBU: 25
• Ingredients:
  • Malts: barley malts: Pilsner, wheat malts, oat flakes
  • Hops: Bitter: Columbus (US), Aromatic: Citra (US)
  • Yeasts: US-05
  • Ingredients: pressed cranberry and apple juice, frozen cranberries, dry orange, dry lemon, dry grapefruit, cinnamon
• Look: light pink; slightly hazy
• Aromas: cinnamon, cranberries, lemon, orange, grapefruit, spices, oakwood, cherries, vanilla
• Mouthfeel:
  • fruity, slightly sweet
  • bitter, slightly astringent (oakwood)
  • sour, long lemon finish

• Serving temperature: 8-12 ⁰C
• Glass: Sensoric, sniffter
• Foodpairing:
  

  Dishes: Ciopono or Gumbo,

  Cheeses: goat cheeses

  Desserts: short pastry cheesecake with cranberry mousse