This weekend’s 2017 Boulder Sour Festival will once again showcase a wide array of national and local talent, boasting their best in the sour and wild beer formats. Now it its 7th iteration, Avery’s annual celebration of acidic beers will see one major amendment, this year focusing solely on wilds and sours that have been aged in a wooden vessel, meaning this year’s entries will no longer include standalone kettle soured beers.

That said, we’ve gotten a chance to preview Saturday’s pour list, and the field is once again strong including the addition of few notable newcomers in Cascade, Half Acre and Marble. Additionally, as the Boulder Sour Fest continues to evolve, it’s become clear that the greater trend is the elevation of talent coming at the local level.

Must Try Risers

It may sound like a broken record, but Powder Keg’s star continues to shine bright at Avery’s house festivals as they continue to grow. This year, however you’ll get a double dose from Head Brewer Phil Joyce, and business partner Eric Schmidt, who will officially debut their side project Amalgam Brewing with a pair of Golden Sours… these are must try.

A few others to keep an eye out for, 4 Noses from Broomfield continues to impress the more we try of them. While they’ve staked a name for themselves producing some of the best hop forward beers in the state, we’re intrigued by the Lambic-style stout. Atom Brewing out of Eerie, CO might be one of the most underrated sour producers in the state. Founder, Jeff Porn has managed to build a tremendous portfolio of mixed culture gems, and the Arlo vertical will be a perfect showcase of his ever evolving proficiency in the style.

Call to Arms Brewing has been quietly releasing a slew of impressive sour bottles as part of their Carriage Series so Silly Peach Whiskey Thing is definitely worth exploring. Additionally we highly recommend checking into the lineup from Beryl’s Beer Co, one of Denver’s most underrated barrel-focused breweries, Cerebral Brewing who has also been dialed in on all fronts with their recent slew of releases, Grimm Brothers, their Barrel-Aged Snow Drop on Cherries sounds out of this world, City Star, Paradox Beer Co., Fiction Brewing, who like 4 Noses has been spot on with their hoppy offerings but is intriguing in the sour category and Wiley Roots, who has for methodically churning out really quality sour releases over the past year

The Bigguns

Avery has long established themselves on the forefront of the sour and wild beer movement, but what really distinguishes the Boulder-based brewery among the other OGs is how experimental and nimble their approach continues to be toward this style category. No other event better showcases that focus than this weekend’s festival. Attendees will once again have a chance to revisit some of Avery’s more successful gold foil releases, but more exciting are some creations from the R&D side that include out of the box creations like Bug Zapper, a rum barrel-aged sour with mint, lime and pressed ginger. Meanwhile other big names that are worth a visit include AC Golden, Almanac, Black Project, medalists of back to back GABFs in the Experimental Wild Ales, who’s recent barrel expansion has allowed an even greater output of high level spontaneously fermented sours and wilds. Crooked Stave has experienced a revitalization of familiar brands as of late and is worth re-visiting, Cascade, which has over the past 3-4 years garnered tremendous attention for their fruit forward sours in the Pacific Northwest will be making a first foray in this fest, The Lost Abbey is back as one of the classic anchors, and WeldWerks will be bringing their wildly popular Peach Climacteric for those who weren’t able to grab some at their limited release.

 

Tickets are currently sold out, however keep an eye out for last minute cancellations shared via the event Facebook page.

Here’s the initial lineup for this year’s 2017 Avery Sour Fest (keep in mind all beers on this lineup are subject to change)

4 Noses Brewing Company	Barrel Aged Sour Stout (LAMBIC STYLE STOUT)	Roasty, acidic, and complex stout aged in blend of Cab and Rye barrels
AC Golden Brewing	Colorado Native Peche	2015 Reserve. All Colorado sour with Palisade Peaches.
	Colorado Native Plum	2015 Reserve. All Colorado sour with Palisade Duarte Plums.
	Colorado Native Kriek Noir	2014 Reserve. Colorado sour with Palisade Bing and Montmorency Cherries.
Almanac Brewing Company	Sunshine & Opportunity	Mixed fermentation saison aged in oak barrels and dry-hopped with Citra
	Apricot de Brettaville	Farmhouse ale aged in oak barrels with apricots
Amalgam	Ascension	Golden Sour Ale
	Huckleberry Zuur	Golden Sour Ale Fermented in Sauvignon Blanc Barrels with Huckleberries
Atom Brewing Company	Arlo Verticle	Batch 1 – 3 of our open fermented mixed culture barrel aged farmhouse ale
	Blueberry Harvest	Barrel aged 6 months, then an additional 2 months on 3lbs/gal of whole blueberries.
	Atom Golden Sour	Golden Sour aged for a year in Zinfandel Barrels
Avery	Einzigartig	Wild ale brewed with Riesling grape must and aged in neutral Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
	Spontanea	Wild ale brewed with Cabernet Sauvignon grape must and aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
	Lunctis Viribus	Sour with 50% ale aged in tequila barrels, 50% ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
	Antonius Carmen	Sour ale aged in Madeira barrels.
	Vallum	Wild ale brewed with Cabernet Franc grape must and aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
	Scarlata	Sour ale aged in oak Barrels with cucumber and hibiscus added.
	III Dolia	44% ale aged in Madeira barrels, 31% ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels & 25% ale aged in Carcavalos barrels.
	Expletus	Sour ale aged in tequila barrels with cherries added.
	Certatio Equestris	Bourbon barrel-aged sour with spearmint added.
	Tectum et Elix	Sour ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
	Fortuna	Sour ale aged in Tequila barrels with lime zest and salt added.
	Bug Zapper	Rum barrel-aged sour ale with mint, lime, and fresh pressed ginger juice.
	Raspberry Sour	Lactic forward sour ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries added.
	Apricot Sour	Juicy apricots and bright bursts of barrel-aged tartness are seamlessly infused to cultivate this deliciously distinctive and succulent sour ale.
	Ginger Sour	Barrel-aged sour ale with fresh ginger. Radiantly tart!
	Nox Reposado	Dark sour ale aged in Suerte tequila barrels.
	Tequilacerbus	Sour ale aged in Suerte tequila barrels.
	Eremita 8	Sour blonde ale with peaches and apricots aged in oak barrels.
	Eremita 9	Dark tequila barrel-aged sour ale.
	Boulder Weisse	An Avery twist on a tradition Berliner Weisse style.
	Bad Buddha	Barrel aged Belgian pale ale with Buddha hand citrus.
	San Juan Sour	Ross and Rachael’s wedding beer inspired after their favorite cocktail the ‘Pink Cadillac Margarita.’ Tequila barrel aged sour with Cranberry juice
Beryl’s Beer Co.	Trent’s Plums	Oud Bruin in Cabernet barrels on Plums
	Elsie Mae B.	Saison in Cabernet barrels with brett
Ballast Point	Professor-Brewhouse-Candlestick	Mixed culture fermented Belgian dark strong with plums
Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales	LANCER	Barrel-Aged Golden Sour refermented with Colorado Wildflower Honey
	PEACEMAKER	Wild Wheat Aged in Red Fox Bourbon Cherry Wine Barrels
Bruery Terreux	Sans Pagaie	Oak aged Sour Blonde with Cherries
Call to Arms Brewing Co.	Silly Peachy Whiskey Thing	Swedish Lager aged in Whiskey Barrels with Palisade Peaches
	Zany Razzy Winey Thing	Brett IPA aged in White Wine Barrels with Raspberries
Cascade Brewing	Crazy Navel	Barrel Aged Blond and Wheat Ales with Orange Peel
	Manhattan NW	Barrel Aged Quad and Blond Ales with Cherries and Noyaux
	Figaro	Barrel Aged Blond Ales with Figs and Citrus Peel
Cerebral Brewing Company	Tonal Language	Mixed-fermentation Saison brewed with Colorado wildflower honey and Mandarin purée. Aged 6 months in Sauvignon Blanc barrels.
City Star Brewing Company	Belle	Sour whiskey barrel aged passion fruit oatmeal pale ale
	Scoundrel	Cabernet barrel aged Oud Bruin
Crabtree Brewing Company	Sour Power	Released just for Avery Brewing’s Sour Fest!
	Carmen 3.0	Weldlambic oak aged dark sour
Crooked Stave	Nightmare on Brett	Dark Sour Ale Aged in Whiskey Barrels
	L’Brett d’Blueberry	Golden Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels with Washington Blueberries
	L’Brett d’Or Dry Hop	Dry Hopped Surreal Spontaneous Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels
Deschutes Brewery	Dissident	Flanders style sour brown ale brewed with Oregon tart cherries
DESTIHL Brewing	Saint Dekkera- Vuile Blonde	Blonde Ale aged in a White Wine Foudre for 3 years
	Saint Dekkera- Brown	Nut Brown Ale aged in oak barrels for 8 months
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Alternate Takes #5	Blonde Ale, fermented in wine barrels with fruit, brett, and lacto
Dry Dock Brewing Co	Maurea, Funk & Sour No 4	Blended sour barrel aged on cherries, blueberries and strawberries.
Epic Brewing Company	Oak & Orchard Dark Sour with Plum	Aromas of dark fruit, plum & fig fade into faint notes of earth funk.
	Sour Brainless on Peaches	Aged for over a year & soured to perfection, fresh peach puree is added before final fermentation and aging.
	Oak & Orchard Syrah	Fresh blueberries, boysenberries & black currants add complexity to a beer that finishes with a hint of cranberry and a kiss of Brettanomyces funk.
Fiction Beer Company	Antiquarian No. 3	Golden Sour Ale
	Antiquarian No. 4	Golden Sour Ale aged on Mango
	Antiquarian No. 5	Golden Sour Ale with Passionfruit
Gravity Brewing	Funky Gomodina	Brett Golden Ale Aged in Oak. Mosaic & Citra Hops.
	Trappist-1b	Mixed Culture Belgian Wheat Ale Aged in Oak.
Great Divide Brewing Company	Vitamin Tart	Raspberry sour
	TBD	Wine barrel aged blood orange sour
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse	Once Upon a Time	Celebration beer from the kingdom of Nod. Only blended once a year for this festival.
	Barrel-aged Snow Drop on Cherries	Barrel aged blend of Snow Drop with tart cherries added.
Grossen Bart	Balbo Pineapple berlinerweiss	Pineapple Berlinerweiss aged in Chardonnay barrels with mixed culture, then refermented in a case with pineapple and Brett Brux
	Balbo Mango Berlinerweiss	Mango Berlinerweiss aged in white wine barrel with mixed culture
Half Acre Beer Company	Pennon	Blonde Wyld Ale
Loveland Aleworks	Sour Golden Ale	12 month aged, Mixed fermentation, Bright, Fruity, Funky, Tart.
	BAMF Gose	12 month aged, Mixed fermentation, Funky, Fruity, Salty
	TBD Fruited Barrel Aged Sour	TBD Fruited barrel aged sour
Marble Brewing	Cereza! Cerveza	A blend of ONE and THREE year-old barrel-aged beers, racked onto a pile of whole U.S. pie cherries
	la brune	Luxurious hints of caramel fade into a bouquet of fruity esters creating a tart, yet nuanced, take on a classic Flemish ale
New Belgium Brewing Company	Single Foeder Oscar 65/Stars & Strikes	Single Foeder Oscar (dark sour) from Foeder Crafters of America first use foeder won in a bowling bet- Stars & Strikes!
	Transatlantique Kriek	50/50 blend of Oud Beersel’s Kriekenlambic & New Belgium’s golden Sour Felix
	Apple Whiskey Felix	Our foeder acidified golden Felix cellared in a Leopold Bros. Apple Whiskey Felix
Odd13 Brewing	Plum Bartleby	Barrel Aged Dark Sour Aged on Palisade Plums
	Liftmaster 13,000	Chardonnay Barrel Aged Sour Blonde
Odell Brewing Company	Brazzle	Barrel-Aged Sour Golden Raspberry Ale
Oskar Blues Brewery	Sour Barrel Aged Saison du Muffintop	Oloroso Sherry Barrel Blueberry Saison aged for 18 months has a smooth, funky tartness over top of a complex array of fruit flavors.
	Shaltz Sour Brown	Bourbon Barrel Brown Ale aged for 10 months packs notes of Vanilla, Whisky and Cola with hints of funky tart flavors.
	Judas Sour Porter	Oloroso Sherry Barrel Smoked Porter aged for 20 months has a woody tangy flavor with hints of chocolate and smoke. Nice dry finish.
Paradox Beer Company	Skully #35, Saladitos Salted Plum	White wine barrel-aged salted plum sour ale
	Skully #39, Salty Lemons	Preserved Meyers lemons in salt blended with sour golden ale
	Skully #49, High Biscus	Wild sour golden ale brewed with Hibiscus, Tangerine Peel, Lemondrop hops
Powder Keg Brewing Company	Quartet	Dark sour aged in Cabernet Sauvignon with black currants added
	Apricot Remix	Brett Saison aged in Sauvignon Blanc barrels with apricots added
The Lost Abbey	Cuvee de Tomme	Quad aged in Bourbon, Brandy, and Red Wine barrels and blended with Sour Cherries
	Framboise de Amorosa	Raspberry Sour aged in French Oak for over 12 months
WeldWerks Brewing Company	Peach Climacteric	Barrel aged sour blend aged on 4 lbs/gal of Palisade peaches
Wiley Roots Brewing Company	Edgar Motta Y La Madera	Dark sour with Sweet Bloom Roasters coffee and vanilla
	Brett Barrel Sappy Roots	Brett fermented farmhouse sour with orange blossom honey
	Renegades of Funk-Spontaneous	Spontaneously fermented golden sour, collaboration with Our Mutual Friend and Amalgam
	New Boot Goofin	Golden sour with Colorado montmorency cherries, collaboration with Our Mutual Friend.
	Galaxy Dry Hopped Funk Yo Couch	Tart saison fermented with wild captured brettanomyces and dry hopped with Australian Galaxy.
	Packed with Peaches	Golden sour with Palisade peaches.
	Dia de las Margaritas Oscuras	Tequila barrel aged dark sour with cacao nibs, sea salt and limes

 

---

Can't visit the site everyday like us? Bummer! No worries, we've got you covered. Submit your email below to receive our monthlyish newsletter on reviews, tours, events and more!

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human: