Starr Hill Roxanne
Starr Hill announced a new Sour Series with the release of their production calendar last December. Roxanne, a 4.7% ABV wheat-based ale brewed with raspberries is the first or that line to be released. Along with three other sours (all goses), Roxanne will be part of breweries “Say It Ain’t Sour” variety pack.
I don’t believe that I’ve crossed paths with a sour of any sort released from this Charlottesville company. I’m not entirely sure how long the company has been playing with wild yeast and foedres. Regardless, I was quite exited to see the announcement last year and to receive samples of all four beers from the “Say It Ain’t Sour” collection to check out.
Roxanne has plenty to offer those that are just getting into sour beers. Firstly, it’s not an overly tart beer. While there is a light amount of pucker present, the raspberries, wheat and a gentle sweetness are more than enough to keep it in check. In fact, I sort of wished, as were the case with the gentle sourness, that the fruit would pop more. It doesn’t quite take advantage of the opportunity to shine. Fans of enamel-stripping examples of the style will probably scoff at the beer, but Roxanne makes for a great introduction for novices with its approachable and easy drinking nature.
There’s promise with this beer. I don’t think Roxanne is quite there yet, but it certainly has room to grow as the company works with the series in the future. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this little beer. It’s easy drinking and allows for a decent session, but it doesn’t match the full-flavored nature of most of Starr Hill’s current (and past) line up.
This is a review of a promotional sample.