Persimmon

Upland Persimmon is an interesting attempt at using a rather obscure fruit in an American Sour application, though it is an offering that might improve with age. The sample was evaluated as a 28C Wild Specialty Beer (according to the 2015 BJCP guidelines), and was bottled on January 2017 according to the label. 

The aroma of this brew is initially rather sharp with lactic acid and cereal character dominating. An aged spicy citrus/orange peel note comes through in the end. However, overall the lacto character is dominant. Visually, this moderately-carbonated slightly cloudy pale yellow-colored brew has a rather weak head which is quite typical for examples of a strongly soured beer.

The flavor delivers a strong sour taste along with overripe pineapple, apricot and a spicy unripe orange citrus flavors that tend to compete with each other. The middle and finish retains the high level of sourness and fruity/citrus notes, but, again, there is not a very harmonious existence between the flavors. The finish is quite dry with a fruit skin tannic character, but the body is a medium full perhaps due to the unfermentables in the fruit that was used.

Upland Persimmon does demonstrate the flavor of persimmon quite well, however the competition between the fermentation and the fruit flavors, in combination with the intense sourness of this brew, does make it a bit harsh at this point in time. This one might do well with a bit of cellaring. Cheers and enjoy!