Wild Beer Co: Zintuki (England: Sour Beer: 7.3% ABV)
Visual: Hazy lemon juice. Large white bubbled head. Good amount of carbonation.
Nose: Clean hops. Sugar dusting. Lightly wheaty. Raspberry pavlova. Smooth lemon. Slightly bready.
Body: Tart. Sharp apples. Moderate bitterness. Sour grapes. Rustic back and texture. Spritzer. Lightly peppery.
Finish: Dried apricot. Oily fish skin touch, barley. Some bitterness and clean hop character.
Conclusion: Ninkasi is one of my favorite beers – it is just mind blowing, and changes what you think can be done with beer – Thankfully here that saison and almost wine like character from Ninkasi survives intact, but here merged to make a more sour and tart beer. So, this then Ninkasi and something else – that must be even better right? That’s what “and” means, right? More.
Well no, but it is pretty cool. So far I’ve basically just described a blend of Ninkasi and Wild Goose Chase – because, well, that is what the beer is. What more do you want from me?
Well, ok it does have some quirks of its own – probably resulting from the unexpected reactions from blending the two. There is a slight fish meat and fish oil character near the end, and a slight pepper with it. That sounds bad? Actually it isn’t here – it is a savoury touch in an otherwise sour and fresh beer, something that gives a call to the more rustic saison notes and gives a more mellow feel under the tartness.
I’ve not seen that element in either of the base beers, so I guess it must come from the interactions of the two – the taste buds reacting to the contrast. very interesting. You know, for science. It feels almost like the beer is providing its own food notes to complement itself.
So we have a blend of a great beer, a good beer, and a few of its own quirks. Some of the elements I love in Njnkasi have been lost in the meanwhile – it isn’t as big or rounded as that beer, though make no mistake – that beer’s character rules the roost – but in the end you get a beer that can stand up on it’s two beer legs.
Very nice.
Background: Zintuki, half Wild Goose Chase, half Ninkasi. Well maybe not half – I didn’t check the exact proportions. Anyway, I loved Ninkasi, and liked Wild Goose Chase – and I’m a big fan of Wild Beer Co. I can’t think of anyone in the UK who is doing more to use and experiment with the sour beer scene. Anyway, so yep, big hope of joy going into this – this was picked up from my Wild Beer addiction supplier – Independent Spirit.
