Pirate Life Boysen Berry Dark Sour

Country: Australia

Brewery: Pirate Life Brewing

Style: Sour Ale

Format: 355ml Can

ABV: 6%

With our first two sours firmly under our belt, we've taken even greater steps to bring you something special for number three. An array of premium malts, heritage hops and tart boysenberry combine in a bold new release that will not only satisfy the soul during the cooler months, it will have you queuing up for another pint in record time. Enter the dark sour.

This is a visual beer. The kind you would see in your friends hand and say, "What the heck is that?" Followed closely by, 'and where the heck can I get one?' It's deep, plum jam appearance is owed to over 200 kg of Boysenberry puree and the roasted malts Chocolate and Carafa III. As the head settles strawberry blonde, we're reminded of that first iconic sparkling shiraz on Christmas Day. Time to dive in.

Robust boysenberry, milk-chocolate cake, young balsamic and fermented cherry greet the nose. The palate hits clean, rewarding with tight acidity, stewed boysenberry, dark chocolate and black forest fruits. Adding to this slew of excess is an unexpected umami driven back palate, delivering notes of brewed soy and roasted, unsalted peanut. Truly decadent stuff my chums.

You can thank Lactobacillus (along with our amazing brew team) for PL's exemplary sour offerings of late. It's brief 24 hour presence in the kettle is felt long after the acidic evolution of the wort has taken place. In the case of Boysenberry Dark, you'll experience a definitive pucker, without it being overwhelming or impolite. Smashing.