Brasserie de Silly - "Silly Sour" ale [Belgium]

We're back to the Belgian well again, it appears. But don't let the name fool you - there's nothing silly about this beer. Made in the town of Silly in the Belgian province of Wallonia, this is a 5.50% ABV authentic Belgian sour ale by Brasserie Silly. This was recommended to me by Jesse at Irving Wines & Spirits, and being a huge fan of Belgian beers, I had to try.

What's most interesting to me about this beer is the fact it's actually a blend of two ales - it's 13% dark saison and 87% "soured" ale. The dark saison part is really neat - I seem to recall gulping down Atlas Brew Works' delicious dark saison "Saison Des Fetes" a couple of years back - but I have a hunch the soured ale part is going to be the most interesting element. Whether that means the ale itself is soured or it's a sour ale, I can't be certain.

Pours swiftly into my Brewer's Alliance tasting glass. Root beer color when candled, it projects a somewhat clean, slightly vinegar aroma. Very nice. It generates no foam aside from a tiny little white ring around the edge of the glass. This dies away almost instantly.

The "saison" name is not quite accurate, I'm afraid, so don't be fooled. Strong and fresh, green apple flavors dominate this beer. It's really not sugary or astringent - just very apple-y, with a good backbone of malt. No hop bitterness to be seen, although it retains a little bit of that lactic funk to it, especially on the finish. Remarkably, no spicy Belgian yeast at all.

One of the more mild sours I have tasted, and in my opinion this would be great for someone looking to try this genre of beer. It's very approachable, and the lactic sourness is present and noticeable but not nearly rivaling that of, say, "Ichtegem's Grand Cru". So you're going to get a sampling of the sourness without it being overbearing, which I happen to like, but novice drinkers may really find objectionable. I like that balance, and it's not something I've often seen done correctly.

Unfortunately, it is rather expensive: $16.99 for four 11.2oz bottles. That's roughly equivalent to $27 per 12oz six-pack. So definitely above my normal price range for beer, but a tasty, authentic Belgian brew. I've also seen it in singles, and in 750mL formats, and also there's a "Stupid Sour" out there that is barrel-aged. So at this price point, perhaps finding a single beer might be the best route to try this - and then buy in quantity if you like.