7.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Sour ale by much-coveted Antidoot in Belgian Limburg, a winter beer apparently making use of not the fruit (because unavailable in winter), but the very branches of the blackcurrant shrub... Bottle shared at De Koffer in Groningen city. Medium thick, snow white, largely stable but open ring for a head, initially clear orange-hued deep golden robe, misty with sediment. Aroma of sour apples, green gooseberries, sourdough, wood sorrel, kefir, unripe mandarin, minerals, cava, cucumber, stale sweat, dandelion and other bitter weeds - probably the blackcurrant branches indeed. Sour onset, crisp and lemony but not harshly puckering, green plum, sour apple and unripe mandarin, lovely minerally aspects from fizzy, near-cava-like carbonation calming down later on, supple bready-sourdoughy core dried by this 'green' fruitiness and indeed a weedy, grassy, dandelion-like plant bitterishness representing the blackcurrant branches; unripe pear and sweaty notes in the end, drying sourness but not overly astringent. Contrary to my expectations, the blackcurrant branches do add something distinct that fits quite well in the 'wintery' atmosphere this beer wants to evoke; original and very refined, but I did not expect anything less from these guys.

8.5

More balance from Antidoot, as we're getting used to. Light, dry, and sour. Plenty of herbal notes, maybe even lightly funky. Not sure if the herbal comes from the shrub, but it's a fun concept. Just a tad too subtle for me.

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

White head, fast reduced to rim over deep-golden beer. Bit gingery nose at first, wild grapes, demi-sec white wine, hint @ noble rot. Sour, but with a marked bitterish, and mainly spicy backthroat taste. Mild acidity, lactic - malonic? More like acidic wine, now, but again vinous; lemon. Very faint mushroom flavour, the noble rot reappearing retronasal. Very slick, almost viscous feel, medium bodied, some acidthinning, soft carbonation. Lipsmacking acidity, dry-out effect. "Not their best"@ Antidoot means excellent.

8

Hapu, mõrkjas, puuviljane, marjane, nats happeline, roheline, mustsõstar. Hea. 4.1

8.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Flaska från Antidoot. Flaskad 2021-01. Guldig, vit krona. Fantastiskt fin doft med massor av vinbärsbuske, vinbärsblad, kanske främst toner av fläderblomst, precis så att det inte blir för skarpt med rejäl fräschör. Pigg och fräsch kropp, ruskigt frisk fräschör och syra. Fortfarande väldigt mycket fläderblomst. Mer lättdrucket än komplext, och väl så. Mjuk och fin, syran djupnar något efter en stund i glaset. Nästan lite bittra toner som från citrusskal.

9

Great!