BEER REVIEW: 299

BREWER: Vault City, Lothian, Scotland

STYLE: Sour

ABV: 6.2%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 30th June 2023

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

At first glance, many a beer drinker may be surprised to stumble across a beer that has its name aligned with a well-known dessert: Raspberry Rocky Road.  Let’s be honest, beers and desserts are not usually a pairing that jumps to mind.

So, it wouldn’t be in the slightest bit surprising that many a well-tuned beer guzzler would swerve this offering, or if not avoiding altogether, would approach it with a large degree of caution.

Not me.

You see, RRR is a sour.  More specifically, it’s a dessert sour.  Strange as it may be, the combination of beer and dessert works incredibly well (on this occasion at least).  To lay it out as it is, RRR tastes of a sour but it does not shy away from its claimed rocky road status either.  There are softened raspberry sours upfront, with chocolate and marshmallow back notes.  Yes, it’s true, those well known flavours are here and very present in this sour.  But one of the biggest links to the pudding theme, is the fluffiness of the mouthfeel.  You are reading correctly, readers: RRR has a FLUFFY presence in the mouth.

Look, RRR will not be too everyone’s taste.  I know that.  And it has the hint of novelty about it.  However, there is no case for denying that the beer delivers on every front promised.  It is exactly as described, it’s well balanced and it’s well brewed.  

Not one for the traditionalist, RRR is definitely a brew that any intrepid beer drinker should get their mits on!

Sammy’s Rating: 84%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

I cannot quite believe that we haven’t actually reviewed a Vault City brew up until now. I mean, they’re a flipping amazing brewery and let me tell you, this is an amazing brew.

No messing about from me with daft stories this week as this is serious bloomin’ business.

Raspberry Rocky Road is a superb beer, it really really is.

First up on the cracking of the can there is the most incredible room filling aroma coming from RRR. Next is the first sip, and my oh my what a delight. Huge sweet and sour flavours fill your mouth, raspberry for sure but with the faintest of chocolate backdrops.

On swallow, though there is still a slight sweetness, sourness certainly takes over. Not eye twitching by any means but defo sour. At this stage you realise that the mouthfeel of this brew is OUT OF THIS WORLD and that you’re dealing with a major player. I dreamt that I ate a huge marshmallow last night, woke up and my pillow was gone. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

It’s then that RRR turns on the raspberry only jets for a sec before moving to a long long long sweet and ever so slightly sour after taste.

On a personal level it’s a touch sweet at the end for me but that’s my fault and nothing to do with the beer.

Fantastic brew.

Jymi’s Rating: 88%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 86%

 

NEXT REVIEW IS BEER 300!!! 

MOB review next weekend: 2017 MAIDEN by SIREN CRAFT BREW

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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M O B 2023