Welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimists,
As we are currently doing our spring cleaning and looking at Gose and Berliner Weiss beers I thought it would be a great time to revisit the first beer that introduced me to sour flavours. That beer in question is the classic gose from Magic Rock named Salty Kiss.
My first time of trying this several years ago I was sceptical as at the time even the mere though of a sour beer filled me with dread. But as I poured, sniffed then tasted, my tastebuds went into overdrive and I was like wow…if this is what a sour is about then give me more!
As we are all aware brewing has evolved massively in recent years so will Salty Kiss prove to still be a personal favourite?
1. Name : Salty Kiss
2. Brewery: Magic Rock, Huddersfield
3. Hops : Cascade
4. Grain : Barley & Wheat
5. Aroma : Tarte gooseberry aroma with sea salt cutting through the light and delicate backbone
6. Appearance : Hazy, light straw colour with a dissipating white head
7. Body : Light body with a very easy drinking mouthfeel
8. Taste : Initial gooseberry tartness that hits the palate straight away with the sea salt present yet not dominating. Refreshing flavour profile which leaves a delicate sourness on the palate.
9: Allergens: Contains gluten but is Vegan friendly
There is no doubt that I still quite enjoyed Salty Kiss, however after several years of not having this beer it failed to blow me away like it once did. All of the original characteristics remain from the gooseberry tartness with the delicate use of sea salt cutting through leaving a pleasant sourness on the palate, yet I could not help but feel that it was lacking in many areas.
After consuming the beer I was left with a feeling of being somewhat underwhelmed and thought to myself ‘Was that it?’. Not to say that this is a bad beer as I can imagine it to be a nice gateway beer to those like myself several years ago looking to dip their toes into the world of sours. However, if you are a fan of the style and have not tried this beer (where have you been hiding?) you might find yourself thinking the same as me as there are far better beers available in this style in 2023. Fair play to Magic Rock though as this one still has legions of fans, clearly still sells well and definitely still has a place on the market.
Our overall rating: 3.0/ 5.0
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