7pm The Autumn Ale

The Commons’ Revival Blend doesn’t tell me much about the beer, except that it’s a three-beer blend.

I can, of course, provide a photo which is bad, but I suppose that’s better than nothing.

 Man, my fingers are huge! Or this beer is really small. (The beer is small.)

The Revival Blend tastes a bit like ‘The beginner’s sour ale’. I don’t even know that I would describe it as tart, it’s so mellow. There is definitely the sour ale funk in the nose, though and an ever so slight pucker at the very end. Nothing off putting but there isn’t a sense of sweetness that some  Flemish reds might have either, by way of example but this beer shows its pedigree. Still, one could almost mix this up with 7up and Chambord and while that sounds unkind I don’t mean it to. The point is that the Revival doesn’t want to challenge its audience.

These qualities give this beer a very drinkable quality and are awesome, in my opinion. The Revival, in about two minutes has, for me, established a place as an autumn beer: the kind I can have after a long day of work and feel really refreshed by, yet can easily go with heartier flavors. This beer may be a year round thing: I am not trying to suggest anything to the brewer, merely that I am drinking it after a very long weekend of very hard work, both mentally and physically and I feel better. I could have another. I ordered a small glass because I just wasn’t sure but I could’ve drank a pint.

Sour ales have been coming up a bit more on the radar and for people who are uncertain about them, this is a beer I’d start them with. If they’d prefer something tarter, we can do that. But if they’d just like to stick with this beer, I could not fault them their selection. This one is good, people, try it if you can.