Samuel Adams – Cranberry Lambic
So as I've said in the past, I'm not a fan of frilly extras in my beer. On the other hand, I'm a big fan of wheat beer. So what Sam Adams has essentially done in this case is take the eternal struggle between good and evil, and bottle it. And as one might expect, evil smells bad. Upon decanting this liquefied conflict, one is struck by a pungent odor. This is no doubt the result of rotting fruit ruining a perfectly good wheat beer. As it turns out, that foul odor is simply an extension of a foul taste. Its actually not terrible as long as you block your nose and swallow immediately. God forbid you let this potion come in contact with the sour receptors on the outside edges of your tongue, cause this stuff gets a whole lot worse.
So as I sit here writing this, I can't help but wonder; "what the hell is lambic"? You might be wondering the same thing. A little research tells us that a Lambic is actually a very distinct type of beer originally from a difficult to pronounce region in Belgium. What makes this type of beer quite unique is the fact that it is the result of spontaneous fermentation. So instead of carefully monitoring how much and what type of yeast goes into the wort, the lazy ass brewers of a lambic leave it exposed to the open air and pray that God grants it an immaculate fermentation. I suspect that in this case, the brewers also encouraged raccoons to swim in the wort by adding rotten meat to the mix while it sat waiting to receive it's divine yeast. Apparently this odd fermentation process is what gives this beer its uniquely sour aftertaste. Why anyone would intentionally go for this is beyond me.
So all in all, this stuff isn't too bad as long as you drink it quick and don't let it touch the edges of your tongue (seriously). It may also help to drink a few decent brews before diving into one of these.
So to my new lambic companion (at least until i pee you out); you get a 2
