Victoria Beer Week continued on Saturday, May 6 with Sour Power, which featured several tart beers in addition to a live disco-dancing party. I began the evening with the Punk Rock Pomegranate Ale (6%) by Bad Dog Brewing Company, which, for a 6% beer, had a far lighter flavour and thinner mouthfeel than I expected. The pomegranate flavour was clear and distinct, however, and it was very refreshing.
The Cherry Farmhouse Ale (5.8%) by Homestead was surprisingly similar to the Punk Rock in both flavour profile and composition, but was missing something intangible, and while a cherry enthusiast might enjoy it, I didn’t find it particularly awe-inspiring.
Ace Brewing brought its F-Bomb Honey Ginger Lime Sour (5.5%), which tastes exactly like you might expect from the name. This kettle brew is made with Comox Valley honey, ginger root, and soured using lactobacillus culture pre-fermentation rather than deriving its sour flavour from the fruit itself, like most other sours. The individual flavours are quite prominent, and while I do like ginger and lime flavours individually, something about the combination seemed to muddy each of them, and I’m not quite sure if it really works. Regardless, it’s bursting with flavour, so if you like lime or ginger, it’s probably worth a try to judge for yourself.
Driftwood Brewing brought its Anejo Gose (6.6%), which is similar in flavour and technique to last night’s Tenth Plum Brett in that it began with their signature gose, which was aged in oaken Anejo tequila barrels and fermented with Brettanomyces and lacto bacterial cultures, then aged for 18 months. The barrel flavour is very strong, but it’s also light and crisp with subtle carbonation that adds just the right amount of liveliness. The flavour profile includes notes of wheat, tequila, and caramel.
Corsair’s Revenge Barrel Aged Sour (10%), also from Driftwood, is another barrel-aged beer, and its rich, sweet scent pre-sip is deliciously heady. Aging in Barbados rum barrels for four years gives it a staggering ABV, but for something so strong it’s surprisingly easy to drink. The most distinct flavour is that of the rum barrels, which gives it a smoky, leathery flavour, with undertones of burnt caramel, vanilla, and, of course, rum. This intense beer leaves a spicy sensation at the back of the throat, and I’m happy to drive a 40-minute round trip to the brewery just to pick up more of it.
A unique aspect of Sour Power was its inclusion of a live disco band, Tight Hair, which played beneath spinning disco balls and coloured lights. This is something I’ve never seen before in the years I’ve attended Victoria Beer Society events, and I was happy to get myself a refill of Corsair and a bite to eat while enjoying the music and the teeming dance floor.
VBW 2023 continues until next Saturday. Visit victoriabeersociety.com/victoriabeerweek for details.