This is the first American Solera brew I had and that little pour at the Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival wasn’t near enough. That 2oz hit of sour cherry juice got me so excited for the launch of American Solera and I couldn’t wait to bring home my own bottle of Foeder Cerise.

So now here I am, drinking one in the comfort of my living room on a peaceful Saturday morning, and I’m happy. Also, Kate is here drinking with me, so that’s fine too I guess.

Beer!

Company: American Solera

Location: Tulsa, OK

ABV: 5.6%

Style/Description: Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels with Cherries

Appearance: Hazy pale rose with a medium white head that quickly fades.

Nose: The aroma is complex with a lot of herbaceous, earthy things and some fantastic fruit like strawberry, cherry candy, some watermelon jolly rancher and a little hit of cinnamon-y apple pie.

Taste: Right off the bat, the balance between sweet, fruity vibes and the tart acidity is on point. Tastes like lemon, watermelon candy, mint, and an herby flavor I can’t nail down are all in there and quite delicious. The funk from the Brett is pretty light, and it’ll be interesting to see how it comes out as the beer ages.

Finish: A little more of the yeasty funk comes out on the finish. The herb things get a bit louder and the fruit falls off fairly quickly leaving tart earthiness behind and a little bit of oak.

Overall: The complexity and balance in this beer is really, really nice. With as much as this brew has going nothing is overpowering and the whole thing is pretty reigned in and subdued. This one will be especially interesting in a year or so when that Brett has time to do some work.

Rating: 4.5/5