Western Suds: Sea Maiden

According to the copy on the cute teal and pink cans of Sea Maiden, this sour watermelon ale occupies the space where “watermelon meets pink Himalayan sea salt”. The 4.5% alcohol number comes from Richmond, BC, where it’s brewed by Britannia Brewing Company.

The beer is cloudy, with a pale orange gold colour and a whole lot of carbonation. It pours with a huge amount of loose white head, though the suds weren’t around for the long haul. Sea Mermaid has a tart, briny aroma that doesn’t really scream watermelon; however, a subtle hint of pink melon is woven throughout the flavour, and is particularly evident towards the finish. Along for the finish are gose-like notes that are both salty and sour.

Billed as a watermelon sour, I’d class this beer as a gose. It’s playful and quirky, with an unusual flavour topography. The concept is quite well executed, though the beer is sufficiently tart that sour beer neophytes might be put off. Personally, I enjoyed my dance with the Sea Maiden, though I’m unlikely to be requesting a second in the near future.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.