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.

(RBSG07, 375ml (hand?)bottle) Pink/beige head atop hazy pink-orange body. Aroma is medium sweet, some funk/lemon, cherry, pomegranate. Taste is medium sweet, orange/pomegranate, minimal sourness. Light-medium body, light acidity.

(Bottle) Pours a pinkish body with a small off-white head. Aroma of tart pomegranate, lemon zest, and subtle sour cherries. Flavor of pomegranate, apple, and light citrus (lemon, orange) with some syrupy mouthfeel.

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.

Sample from 375 ml (?) bottle, RBSG Minneapolis Grand Tasting, June 23 2007. Color of ripe rainier cherries, pinkish-red-orange with a bit of lasting white head.....gorgeous fruity-sour aroma, lots of dry, funky yeast, tart apples and oh yeah, pomegraate; a bit of oak....juicy and full of fresh tart, underripe fruits mingling with biscuity light malts and perhaps a bit of butter-cookie character...blood oranges and pomegranates combine for a nicely sour finish and solid dryness. I liked this basically just as much as the Flemish Sour; can’t wait to try more from these guys. Thanks Walt!

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!

Nice orange/rose color, few bubbles. Big sour, yeasty aroma. Worthy of a Cantillon by its nose. Very fizzy, aggressive when you add in the sour effects with it. Too sweet, however, a candy front. A movement happens in the finish to release a secondary wave of flavor, but it will disappoint many, who will find this to be a typical "girly beer"--pandering with sweetness and carbonation but burying the potential of the outstanding Flemish Sour base and not giving enough pomegranate.