New embodiment of Heilig Hart’s first sour (a beer-wine hybrid and an immediate qualitative success back in 2019, as far as I am concerned), with tweaked recipe: whereas the original batch was aged on both clay amphoras and wooden barrels, this one omits the wood altogether; the wine must used comes from different grapes now (Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Sylvaer) and the hops are different too. Other than that, this 2020 version is also much stronger than the original – so a new entry here is indeed in order. No head at all, hazy apricot blonde robe with beige-ish tinge. Rich bouquet of freshly cut green apples, cooked yellow plums, clay from the amphoras, pumice even, unripe pineapple, wine must and indeed sweetish grapes, touch of honey even, lychee wine, soapy coriander, old dried thyme or other ‘herbes de Provençe’ and a rubbery touch reminiscent of sake. Very fruity onset, estery with more ripe and fleshy, sweet-sour fruitiness than the first batch, varying between red apple, yellow plum, lychee and pear, some very light carbonation, very vinous mouthfeel (but feeling a tad thicker than wine usually does). The grapes (or rather, the must) grow and grow in the middle, adding a sweetish white wine-like flavour which eventually becomes equally strong as this bready malt core underneath; lovely yoghurty acidity keeps everything in balance, while this clay-like amphora taste comes to the foreground further on (always a bit of an adaptation after hundreds of wood-aged beers!). The herbal notes (thyme, rosemary) from the nose return too, blending with the sweet-sour juiciness of the grapes; they accentuate the drying effect delivered by the lactic acidity. Alcohol warms, a tad sherry-like, but generally remains very well hidden. Fruitier, fleshier, juicier, ‘grape-ier’ and stronger than the first – a different creation indeed, and equally interesting.

Magus, hapu, funky, puuviljane, viinamarjane. Ok