New Glarus Serendipity Fruited Sour Ale

Beer Name: Serendipity
Brewery: New Glarus Brewing (New Glarus, WI)
ABV: 4.0%
How sold: 12 oz bottles (4-packs and cases); kegs; on draft
Where bought: N/A, received this in a trade
Price: Unknown

Date Received: May 10, 2018
Date Drank: June 17, 2018
When brewed? Seasonal beer. Generally available January through March, but see the Beer Schedule first.

What's on the Bottle/Website: "Severe Drought, we shared the farmer’s horror as Wisconsin’s cherry crop failed! Dan bought what cherries he could. The Apple crop fared better. Then joy! A grand Wisconsin cranberry harvest. What will Dan brew with Apples, Cranberries and Cherries? Oh my! You hold the happy accident of Wisconsin’s favorite fruit aged in oak with an almost magical wild fermentation. Serendipity is a wondrous celebration that sparkles your senses and dances across your palate. A kaleidoscope of flavor discovered by accident in a sour ale!

Cheers to the unexpected." Read more here! 

Food Pairings: New Glarus suggests several options, from poached pears to pork shoulder to Brie cheese to French Vanilla ice cream.

Where distributed: New Glarus Brewing distributes just within parts of Wisconsin. Very hard to get unless you go to the brewery.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Pours slightly hazy red-purple into a pint glass. Off-white head. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Strong, assertive fruity tart experience. Includes apples, cranberries, and cherries. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Explosive mix of applies, cranberries, and cherries. Controlled, complementing tartness throughout. Like drinking carbonated grape juice or cherry juice. Extremely refreshing. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, good carbonation. Fruity juicy, otherwise sticky with some dry tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding Fruited Sour Ale. New Glarus had long cemented itself (in my mind) as the go-to brewery for wild ales and fruited sour ales. This may be a slight notch below Raspberry Tart and Strawberry Rhubarb, but again, it's not far behind either one. I'd even want this during the fall (namely because of the cranberries). If the story on the label is true, I'm also grateful for this "happy accident." Like Strawberry Rhubarb, I wish this one was available year-round. 4.75/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.688/5