North By Northwest Pomelambic

Brewed by North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery
Style: Sour Ale
Austin, Texas USA

GABF 2007. A murky orange-brown beer with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet with powerful notes of apples and a light acidity - not very inviting for me. The flavor is acidic and sweet at the same time with a slightly artificial apple note - a combination of different apple sorts I think, leading to a rather acidic finish. I’m not that fond of the apples used, but the acidity is great and draws out the mouthwater. The finish is dry and woody.

Poured a hazy reddish color with a small white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of brett, berries, pomegranate, and some vinegar. Rather funky, but also sweet. The taste too, began sweet, more pomegranate, yet turned lightly acidic, finishing sour, and a dry finish. Thanks to Walt for sharing!

Bottle, shared by Walt. Thanks! Pours hazy orange with a nice white leace. Nose and flavor had a bit of red fruits and vinegar and a mild woody character. Mildly acidic finish. Pretty tasty.

3-20-08 tap
Thick pinkish red in color with a very thin pastel pink head. Smell is fruity and has a hint of tart funk to me. Fruity flavor that isn’t too tart. Pretty enjoyable overall. A hint too sweet and not sour or funky enough for me. Average mouthfeel. Reminds me of Fruit Loops.

Pours a nice cranberry, pinkish red color with no real head by the top the glass got to me. Smell is sweet and tart, some vinegar character, and red fruits reminiscent of pomegranate, but not abundantly obvious. Taste is quite tart and acidic, fairly sweet, with concentrated pomegranate flavor, and there is a definite fruity cereal like quality to it. Kind of froot loops-esque in the middle. Overall, good, but not like I’ve come to expect of the style, but plenty sour enough to give you some wicked heartburn.

Stupendously huge yellowish head, like hardened soap, with irregular interface to hazy orange-terracotta beer, very saturated. Nice Bretty/lemony, but also unmistakably acetic nose; very fruity with farmyard, leathery odours. Surprisingly accurate Brett flavour; like a mix of raspberry lambic, gueuze and a dash of lemonjuice. Typical pomegranate flavour is however absent, strangely. More spicy-leathery flavours retronasal. Quite burning, titillating MF, acidburn, acidthinning but nowhere empty; something chewy returns with every gulp. Wow. This is a worthy successor to the Sour Prick. Same brewer, or just influence, Dewberries?

Thanks to fly for this one. The pour is ruby with frothy white head. The aroma is tart fruit including cherry, some pomegranate, and some earthy yeasty cobwebby notes. The taste is tart but not overly so, with cherry, some earthy and oaky notes, and a finishing tart cherry kick that has some palate heft and does pucker the taste buds as it warms. This one was another delicious beer from N x NW, and these guys impressed me as much as anyone in 2007, even though I didn’t get to try these until the last 2 weeks in 2007. Well done, and thanks again, fly.

Very nice. Tart and acidic ,but a tadd too sweet. Were the balance in those elements to be a tad better, this would be a remarkable beer. That and having the pommegranate a bit more pronounced (though some may not wish for that). I really enjoyed this and the sweetness comment is quibbling. I hope more (much more) in this vein is forthcoming. (from bottle)