I agree that we shouldn’t mix up lambic and sours in this conversation as for me they are quite different.
For sours
Struise Aardmonik, even better now with some age on it. I had a bottle at Kulminator last month and just couldn’t believe how good it is. Some of the yeast has woken up in the bottle and given it a soft carbonation. Unbelievable beer.
Struise Dirty Horse
Rodenbach Alexander
Top American Sour for me is Russian River Beatification.
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Belgium: 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze 1998 (50th Anniversary)
USA: Russian River Toranado 20th
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Valley Decadence Grand Cru
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Belle-Vue Sélection Lambic
New Glarus Belgian Red gets honorable mention.
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Belgian: Cantillon Crianza Helena
American: either Yellow Bus or Beatification
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Just for the sake of accuracy, brut is a style of sparkling wine. Champagne is sparkling wine from the champagne region in France. There is non-vintage brut champagne, vintage brut champagne, brut rose champagne, etc. Saying "a brut is not a champagne" is like saying a sour is not a beer.
For the question, CL Castleton batch 1.
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A few picks, foreign and domestic.
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Liefmans Goudenband
Ommegang Rouge Grand Cru
New Glarus Unplugged Enigma
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Belgian: Girardin Black label
US: Cascade Sang Royale or RR Beatification
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Belgian: I am partial to Cantillon Fou’Foune with Drei Fonteinen Oude Kriek following closely.
American: Veritas 4
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Another American perspective:
Overall: Drie Fonteinen J&J Blauw
Belgian: Blauw
American: Castleton Batch 1
Nothing else is really close to these beers, at their peak. I guess Supplication (Batch 001) was close to Castleton, and perhaps even better, but it was such a brief peak, and all other batches have been nowhere near that good (and about 50% of my bottles even from that peak period were diacetyl bombs). I’d probably say Temptation (Batch 002 and 003) at its peak is outstanding, and might be next in line after that. Millennium Geuze was fabulous. As are "standard" Girardin Black Label, De Cam Kriek, and the best bottles/batches of Beatification and Cuvee de Tomme.
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