A year after launching its Lost In Leith barrel-aged range, Campervan Brewery is releasing its first two barrel-aged sour beers.
Foeder Cherry Sour has been launched, along with Jasmine Brett Berliner, which has been made in collaboration with a local tea merchant.
The beers have been more than a year in the making and have allowed the brewers to experiment with different oak formats, wild yeasts, and bacteria.
Alongside those two sour beers, Campervan Brewery is also releasing the 2021 vintage of its Brett Pils. This second vintage is a blend of three barrels. This beer is a little drier and features more oak than the June 2020 release.
Meet the beers
Foeder Cherry Sour (7.5% ABV) was aged in foeder for ten months, then re-fermented with Scottish sweet cherries and Middle Eastern mahlab (ground cherry pits). The result is a deeply sour, red wine-like beer, with cherries, plums, and a spice note.
Campervan brewer, Patrick Smith, said: “The Foeder Cherry Sour is the second beer released from our foeders and is the first beer showcasing our house souring blend. There is a great depth of flavour, featuring a cherry-forward strain of Brettanoymces, as well as a balance between the acidity and perceived sweetness from Scottish sweet cherries and baking spices.”
Jasmine Brett Berliner (4.7% ABV) was aged in Burgundian Chardonnay barrels for ten months with a single strain of Brettanomyces. The beer was then cold steeped in Jasmine Chun Hao tea from eteaket. The result is a sour lemon beer with a bouquet of Jasmine, pome fruit, and supporting funk.
Patrick said: “We’ve been fortunate to work closely with local tea experts eteaket, to produce a delicately balanced, Jasmine-infused Berliner weisse. Working with Sam Holburn has been a pleasure, and with his help and knowledge we’ve produced a collaborative beer that we’re very proud of.”
