I don't really have any brewery or style information to share here as the brewery and style are the same as Juliet, a sour ale made by Goose Island. Please see my review of Juliet for more information about Goose Island and sour ales. While Juliet is made with blackberries and aged in cabarnet barrels, Lolita is made with raspberries and aged in unidentified wine barrels. Both are fermented with an unidentified wild yeast and while Juliet comes out at 8% abv, Lolita clocks in at a respectable 9% abv, which is on the upper end of alcohol for any sour ale I've ever seen on either side of the Atlantic. Many Belgian Fruit Lambics, which serve as partial inspiration for both these beers, range from around 2.5% to 5% abv. Maybe both of these sister beers are imperial sours? Also, I mentioned in my previous review on Juliet that I suspected Goose Island of using Brettanomyces bruxellensis to ferment these beers, but I wish to issue a retraction. As I reflected on the beer last night, I decided it didn't exhibit any of the qualities I would expect from a brett-infused beer and that my palate was tasting something that wasn't actually there simply because it was on my mind. Yes, the power of suggestion can work on yourself. The only other information I could glean from the Goose Island website is that they recommend this beer to drinkers of Belgian framboise, a raspberry lambic. They also recommended serving Lolita with a wide variety of foods. That being said, let the review begin!
The beer is presented in the same 22oz bottle as Juliet, though the label is more of a true white and 'Lolita' is written in an all-caps, block letter font in a kind of raspberry color. A touch simple, but classy in its understated aesthetic. The beer pours an interesting pinkish orange, almost like a summer sunset or strongly brewed iced tea. A quarter inch pinkish beige head of countless little bubbles quickly dissipates into oblivion. The beer looks completely still after a moment, belying the plentiful carbonation that I know lurks among its depths. Appearance: 13/15
A lot of the same great funky and tart yeast flavors come billowing forth in the nose, confirming my suspicions that both Juliet and Lolita receive the same yeast treatment. I also smell definite oak, the wine barrels no doubt. Unfortunately, I'm not well-versed enough in wine to venture a guess as to which wine it may be. The beer smells vinous and a touch earthy. There's a little mustiness in there too. The raspberries are quite apparent as well, though not as dominate as I anticipated. They're duking it out for attention with all the other smells as well as a tannin astringency that bites the nostrils, ever so gently. Nose: 24/25
The raspberry comes springing forward much more in the palate. It is young, fresh, and vibrant. Its audacity is ameliorated by the oak and tannins that flank its approach. The raspberry character seems concentrated, more like a jam or preserve than the fruit itself. That certain unmistakable acidity inherent in raspberries is also apparent and serves to balance the sweetness nicely. The overall palate still conveys plenty of tart funkiness and moderate acidity tied together by fruit and oak. There's a certain creamy butter like flavor that flashes across the end of the palate right before disappearing down the throat, almost reminiscent of a buttery Chardonnay. That particular buttery flavor owes itself to a compound known as diacetyl which is unacceptable at any level in many styles but which can be tolerated at low levels in some Belgian sour ales as a strictly complementary flavor. That is the precise nature of this butter flavor, which makes me think it was intentional. It also puts Chardonnay on the top of my list for culprits responsible for the mystery wine barrels. Palate: 47/50
The mouthfeel was really good. A touch fuller than Juliet and more firmly in the medium range, this fuller body is still belied by abundant carbonation. There is a definite but not exuberant creaminess on the back end. Mostly marked by plenty of champagne carbonation and a springy, fruity body. Nicely done. Mouthfeel: 9/10
OVERALL: 93/100
Well, I definitely liked this beer too and it is another stellar addition to Goose Island's beer geek-centric beers. I think, all things being equal, that I ever so slightly preferred the Juliet. I thought the body was more spot on and the blackberry flavor there intermingled with the oak better. That being said, Lolita is a wonderful beer that I might buy another bottle of before it disappears off the shelves around here because I'd love to age a bottle for a couple years or so and see where it comes out. If you're wanting to get into sours, here's another great place to start as well as a beer that proves that summer beers don't have to be boring. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment