Woot woot! Who doesn’t love glitter? Okay, so it gets everywhere and it has been known to be called The Herpes Of Craft Supplies. And I can’t argue with that. But for those of you who aren’t exactly in love with glitter, know that Bomb doesn’t have actual glitter in it. (Though you can buy other beers that do have it, such as DuClaw’s Unicorn Farts and Ingenious’s Black is Beautiful…or search brew glitter to buy some and add it to whatever brew you like.)
I have to come clean though; I’m not typically a sour beer fan. My stomach hates the stuff, my tastebuds scream in protest…and this from a gal who loves sour gummies. So I don’t know what it is about the vast majority of sour beer that turns my entire body into a shudder factory, but it happens. I can enjoy Iron Hill Brewery’s Cherry Blob (a Belgian Tripel made with sour cherries), and now, I can enjoy Glitter Bomb. Mostly because with Bomb, it’s not really a fruity sweet-but-sour thang that makes my taste buds go cross eyed, but is more like the sour center of those old Zotz candies. https://zotzpower.com/ (And yes, the wee 70s in kid me got very excited when I realized these candies still exist.) It’s not a harsh sour, but more like a bubbly fizz. And though smooth won’t be a word folks call the citric acid-y punch Bomb delivers, it’s much more drinkable than the sours I’ve tried in the past. As I’ve said before, I hate drinking a beer that’s so hoppy/sour/yeasty that I feel like I’ve lost a bet. I want to enjoy my pours, and Bomb is something I enjoy.
This beer pours easy, with a head that dissipates quickly. What remains is a color that DB calls “straw golden”, and I’m gonna steal that description because it’s spot on. The color promises a light, airy beer, yet the nose – all fresh air and cool water at the start – hints at a tangy surprise coming your way. And is that a touch of grapey goodness you scent? Why yes, yes it is. That whiff of grape reminds me of biting into an ice cold green seedless on a hot summer day. Heck, the whole nose would make a great unisex fragrance, DB. Please get on that.
The sourness comes at you straight out of the gate. The combination of tiny bubbles that give Big Fizz Energy and that slap of tart hits your taste buds, but doesn’t overstay its welcome. In fact, once the fizz gets past the tip of your tongue, it hardly hits the palate at all. There’s no uncomfortable heaviness on the sides of your tongue – where your “Sour” taste buds are, don’cha know – though if you decide to just leave a sip in your mouth, you’ll feel it. The wine barrel imparts a grapey, winey swallow that mellowed on the way down.
A 5% ABV, this isn’t a session brew as it doesn’t have the balance of hop and malt that descriptive requires. Yet it’s a light beer that’s easy to drink. How can something sour be easy? Well three words; wine barrel aged. Aging Bomb in wine barrels smooths out the finish, and mellows the unsettling (TO ME) harshness most sours bring to the table. Still, after half a bottle, I did get a bit of a tingle in the ol’ tum, but I did have a slew of upper and lower GI nightmare tests the day before I decided to review this brew. I didn’t have that happen the first time I tried Bomb. But I mention it just in case various batches have various amounts of punch. So if you’re new to the sour game, or just want to try this brew because it’s Pride month and you’re looking for a theme (who doesn’t love a theme?) I say have this on a full stomach, or nosh mellow fruits, veg, and carbs to keep your tummy happy. And maybe don’t drink a sour after an upper GI biopsy. Though if you’re one to live on the edge, do you. I salute your bravery.
Happy Pride, everyone!
