Craft Beer Spotlight: Bell’s Brewery Larry’s Latest Sour Ale

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

Larry’s Latest Sour Ale By Bell’s Brewery

It is extremely difficult for me to go grocery shopping without walking down the craft beer aisle. While the grocery store doesn’t have the widest selection, I have to see what’s available. My local Meijer grocery store has a small selection of single bottles and that’s where I discovered Larry’s Latest Sour Ale from Bell’s Brewery.

I hadn’t heard of this beer at that point and the bright yellow label jumped off the shelf. A single bottle was only $2 so it was well worth the risk to see what it is all about.

Let’s dive in and see Bell’s Brewery did with this one.

Review Of Larry’s Latest Sour Ale

As I said, the label caught my attention but it was the style description that made me buy it.

“Kettle Soured Ale with a Dry Hop Burst”

I like hoppy beers and am always ready to try a new sour. But I’ve only had a few sour beers that featured any amount of hop flavor. So the unique flavor combination had me sold.

After buying it, I did some research and found out that this is a seasonal release from Bell’s Brewery. This explains why it was featured in the single bottle selection at Meijer as they often feature seasonal beer.

Larry’s Latest Sour Ale is 5% ABV. You can pick some up in 6 packs of 12oz bottles for around $10. It will be around throughout February and March.

Here is how Bell’s Brewery describes this sour ale:

The name “Larry’s Latest” is a nod to the spirit of innovation and experimentation that Larry started in 1985 and continues within the brewery to this day. Our latest sour recipe has a refreshingly bright, citrusy tartness combined with pungent tropical aromas.

Looking to pair this beer with food? The Bell’s Brewery website gives these suggestions:

Savory: Grilled fish, trout, perch, green curry, herbed ricotta

Sweet: Grilled fruit, citrus sorbet, honey cake

The Eccentric Way: Grilled chicken with a lemon herb gastrique

Initial Thoughts

When I decided to drink this one, I tried to anticipate what it may taste like. I’ve had plenty of sour beers as well as hoppy. And what I know is both flavors can dominate a beer. So I wondered which would be the dominate flavor in this one.

As soon as I removed the cap, I got a solid hop aroma. It was earthy and pungent.

It poured a bright yellow-golden hue with a white head. The aroma coming from the glass was noticeably hoppy with just a touch of tart hidden in.

Tasting Notes

The first sip of this beer was a complete shock. It follows the aroma with a very strong herbal hop flavor. It is quite different from so many of the IPAs I currently drink that focus on fruity hop flavors.

Instead, this has harsh, bitter hops that are nearly savory in flavor. These flavors are most evident at the beginning of each sip. While there is some residual hop flavor that tends to pop back up at the end.

The hop flavor was quickly followed be a moderate level of tart provided by the lactic acid in the sour ale. After the first drink, this tart flavor was more easily found throughout instead of just at the end.

It finishes much cleaner than I would have expected which is appreciated. If the flavor would have lingered, it would have not been nearly as enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Drinking a beer that featuring both sour/tart and hoppy flavors is a bit confusing. Your brain wants to focus in on one of the flavors so you end up fighting with yourself about which flavor is more dominate. And which flavor you like more.

Bell’s Brewery did a great job layering these flavors so they stand alone and prevent getting muddled in a mess of hop and sour. And I appreciate them pushing the boundaries with unique flavors.

I do not think this is for everyone. While most seasonal beers are crowd-pleasers, this one will divide the crowd as some won’t care for it.

But if you enjoy both hoppy and sour beers as well as pushing your palate into new flavors, this is one to pick up while you can.

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Conculsion

I’m a huge fan of buying single bottles and cans or beer. It allows me to test out the waters before committing to a whole 6 pack. This is a beer I never would have bought a 6 pack but a single was a good risk for me to take.

Taking a chance and trying this beer worked out well. Drinking a beer with a mix of hoppy and sour is kind of weird; but I liked it.

I don’t see myself having more than 1 or 2 of these in a row but it’s a great beer when you want to mix it up and drink something a little funky.