Ok, let's say your partner is like the two of us, an insufferable beer snob, but you're doing the big shop and you want to pick up a few cans of something they might enjoy, but you have no idea where to start. Have no fear, One for the Road is here!
This series of posts is going to be all about the beers that are readily available in British supermarkets. We are talking Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Lidl, Aldi and Waitrose. If you walk into the beer aisle and don't know where to start, we are here for you. These reviews will let you know what is out there, the occasions they are suited to and how good they are in terms of value for money.
Tropical Sour
Style - Sour
Brewer - Vault City
ABV - 5.2%
Where to buy it - Tesco
Price - £3.00
What to expect
The fact that there is (presumably) a market for Tesco to sell a fruited sour at a not negligible £3 for a 330ml bottle neatly summarises how much the UK craft scene and us consumers tastes and inclination to experiment have evolved over the past half decade.
As I have alluded to in other pieces (see BOTY Number 5), whilst sours are definitely not my default setting and I don't have them all that often, I do find it difficult to pass on a Vault City sour (the UK's pre-eminent sour crafters in my humble opinion!) so when I spotted this functionally titled 'Tropical Sour' during the weekly shop, it went straight into my basket!!
The unfussy bottle is adorned with a splash of colour with the pineapple, passionfruit and guava decor letting you know what's in store. On the pour, the body was medium-light with a deft sprinkle of carbonation offering an initial inch of cloud that swiftly dissipated. The nose gave off zesty tropical notes and a hint of the vinegar acidity laying beneath the surface. In the tasting hole, sweet and sticky pineapple shone brightly at the fore but quickly gave way to sharp passionfruit purée and slightly grainy and floral guava. As expected, there was also a sharp sherbet acidity that really set the flavours off and stopped this from simply being a sweet and sickly muddle.
Compared to other Vault City sours I have had, this is probably on the tarter end of the scale and that doesn't surprise me - in my experience, the less punchy and more "sessionable" sours tend to have less sugar, lactose or other adjuncts in there battling to round out the ABV.
Overall, I think VC have done a great job with this and hope that shoppers who are finding their feet with craft give it a go as it may well surprise them. I wouldn't say its a beer to buy week-in week-out, but occasionally when you feel like throwing caution to the wind and getting that Tangfastics hit in beery form, this won't let you down!
When to drink it
This is a garden beer all day for me!!
The requirement for a bottle opener to break into that classy little bottle lend it towards home drinking (and likewise, dependent upon who you park or BBQ with, you might get the odd stare from a Red Stripe drinker mulling over how pretentious you are).
More importantly, whilst this bev is supremely quaffable and could easily be Houdini'd in two minutes flat, it's fairly complex and interesting flavour profile mean that you should really try to enjoy this over a half hour with your shades on and a good book to hand or The National back catalogue on shuffle!!
Value for money
Leaning slightly toward the pricey end for the volume but worth every penny. Grab a couple and wait for that perfect Summer Saturday!!
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