This year my wife gave me one of the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve ever received: A whole friggin’ crate loaded with bottles of craft beer from around the Lower Mainland.
She’s on the nice list … forever. As I gleefully drank my way through my Christmas spirits, I was blown away by the skill of the B.C. brewers, with one beer in particular shining above all the rest.
The Pomona Red Wine Barrel Aged Stone-Fruit Sour from Delta’s Four Winds not only had the most pretentious name, it also came with a ridiculously complex description of the brewing process that included phrases such as “aged on nectarines for 12 months in Okanagan red wine barrels,” and “blended with classic witbier and transferred to a French oak foedre.”
Remember, this is beer we’re talking about, not Love Potion No. 9.
Seemingly the only ingredient missing from the epic description was a splash of unicorn tears. It also came in a large 750-millilitre bottle topped off with a champagne cork. Oh, and one more thing: it was freaking delicious.
The beer was sour, but not unpleasantly so, with a wonderful undertone of stone fruit, as if someone had snuck a few sour peach candies into a very smooth wheat ale.
It was also pretty pricey at around $15 a pop, but I’d argue worth the cash if you appreciate real craftsmanship and care, and can handle a little delicate sourness in your brew.
Unfortunately a call to the brewery revealed that the latest batch was sold out, with perhaps a rare straggler to be found at speciality stores. I was also told, however, that they’ve already fired up the foedre on the next batch. It might be available within the year, depending on the supply of unicorn tears.
Andy Prest's column will highlight one beer every month. [email protected]
