Brick Brewery are my absolute go-to for kettle sours, and the Raspberry & Thyme sour is one I look out for every spring/summer. I've had it every year since it was released and I have no plans to stop.
To fess up, I didn't even write any tasting notes for this blog post, but the thing is, it doesn't really need it. It's called a raspberry and thyme sour and it is exactly that. Yes there are also hints of lemon from lemon balm, lemon peel and the fact that the variety of thyme used is lemon thyme, but ultimately it's exactly as described. And I think you can get all the information you need just from the colour of the beer in the photo above to be honest. It's so vibrant and tempting, and it tastes just as you would expect from that
—bright, fruity and juicy, with a tartness from the kettle souring but not overwhelmingly sour. It's unbelievably drinkable (hence forgetting to make any tasting notes before I'd finished it), especially on a sunny afternoon, and wonderfully sessionable at 3.6%. I only wish I'd had a few more cans in the fridge to have afterwards.
PS. Can we take a moment to appreciate this label? Lauren Vaughan's designs are always stunning but this one is has to be one of my favourites with the raspberries and little thyme sprigs.