Hamilton Haul--Early Bird Oak-Aged Sour with Cherries

The label of 473mL cans of Early Bird Oak-Aged Sour with Cherries are lovely, with a bird carrying off a sprig of cherries. The 5.8%, 13 IBU sour is from Hamilton, Ontario’s Grain & Grit Small Batch Beer.

Early Bird has a sediment rich bright pink colour. It’s a hazy beer that poured with almost no head. The beer packs a lot into its aroma: cherry notes, tartness, and a woody warmth. The flavour is sour, cherry-focused, and features an oaky essence. The woodiness is potent, and also a little unusual—it provides an odd funk that I found enjoyable.

Good strength, ample sour, and a woodiness that I thought was strangely agreeable made this a pretty decent sour ale, but not one I’d reach for routinely.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.