Valentine Sweet-Tart Beers
Marsha Bryant
Again love, the limb-loosener, rattles me
bittersweet,
irresistible….
- Sappho
Whether bitter, or tangy, or tart,
It’s the sassy-side tastes that impart
Effervescence in love.
Here’s a peek at the trove
Of the sweet-bitter-sour beer arts.
1.
This Imperial Milk Stout with whiskey
Barrel finish is lactose-sweet frisky.
Its robust bourbonation
And light carbonation
Might make us delightfully risky.
2.
For a soberish Valentine’s Day
We’d have Chocolate Dark Brew that’s NA.
Its luxurious feel
And sweet-bitter appeal
Put the chocolatey tastes on display.
3.
With a foamy white head like a Belgian,
This Strawberry Letter’s rebellion
Is its bitter-tart finish
That doesn’t diminish.
The sourness never dispels, hon.
4.
Why not write a Love Letter with beer?
This juicy-tart brew might declare
With its peachy pulp sweet-
ness and fruited sour se-
quence of flavors to pucker up, dear.
Tasting Notes
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout. Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co., Lexington KY. 12% ABV.
Pours coffee-colored with a creamy tan head that leaves a thin ring around your glass after it fades. The aroma has a hint of coffee and is quite subtle for this boozy beer. The taste begins with lactose sweetness, sliding smoothly across your tongue as the bourbon flavor accrues and rises to your palate. Sip it slowly, savoring the sweet side of whiskey that lingers after the finish.
Chocolate Dark Brew Non-Alcoholic. Untitled Art., Waunakee, WI. < 0.5% ABV.
The companion to the brewer’s chocolate stouts, this beer pours translucent brown with a creamy-tan head that’s impressive for a non-alcoholic. The aroma is bittersweet, but the intake flavor tilts toward sweet-bitter. With a nice, thinnish mouthfeel, it tingles the front and back of your tongue, bestowing roasty and hoppy notes in the finish. (Can art by Stephenie Hamen).
Strawberry Letter 23 Hopped Sour. Duclaw Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD. 7.1% ABV.
Pours bright golden with a foamy white head like a Belgian-style beer. The aroma’s a bit of a tease, with a faintly strawberry-hoppy smell that belies this brew’s intense sourness that builds as you imbibe. The sour flavor centers on your tongue with some tartness before the beer finishes dry with Mosaic hop notes.
Love Letter Peach Midwest Fruit Tart. Urban Artifact, Cincinnati OH. 7.9% ABV.
One of the brewer’s peach varietals, this version pours like a pulpy, peach-hued orange juice. The sour hugs your tongue first; then the peachy tang tickles it with a hint of citrus in the finish. The high-end ABV packs some punch for a fruited sour.
MARSHA BRYANT writes about literature, culture, and craft beer. Her recent essays appear in The Bloomsbury Handbook to Sylvia Plath, the online journal Humanities, and the textbook Impact of Materials on Society. Marsha teaches at the University of Florida. Her Untappd handle is LimerickLady.
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