Provisional Styles - Catharina Sour

Name

Catharina Sour

Category

Provisional Styles

Provisional Styles

Guidelines

Impression

A refreshing fruited sour wheat beer with a vibrant fruit character and a clean lactic acidity. The restrained alcohol, light body, elevated carbonation, and lack of perceived bitterness allows the fresh fruit to be highlighted. The fruit is often, but not always, tropical in nature.

Aroma

Medium to high fruit character, immediately noticeable and recognizable. A clean lactic sourness, low to medium, supports the fruit. Neutral malt typically, but can have low grainy or bready notes in support. Clean fermentation profile with no wild or funky yeast character. No hop aroma. No sharp alcohol. Optional Spices, Herbs, and Vegetables should support the fruit if present.

Appearance

Color is often fairly pale – straw to gold. Medium to high white head with fair to good retention. The color of the beer and head can also take on the color of the fruit. Clarity can be quite clear to hazy. Effervescent.

Flavor

Medium to high fresh fruit flavor dominates, with a supportive but noticeable, low to medium-high clean lactic sourness. The fruit should have a fresh character, not seeming cooked, jam-like, or artificial. The malt is often absent, but if present can have a low grainy or bready quality that never competes with the fruit or sourness. Hop bitterness below sensory threshold. Dry finish with a clean, tart, and fruity aftertaste. No hop flavor, acetic notes, diacetyl, or funky Brett flavors. Spices, Herbs, and Vegetables are optional in support of the fruit.

Mouth Feel

Low to medium-low body. Medium to high carbonation. No alcohol warmth. Low to medium-high acidity without being aggressively sour or astringent.

Comments

Best consumed fresh. The acidity may make the beer seem drier and lighter in body than the final gravity might suggest. Berliner Weisse beers with fruit should be entered as 29A Fruit Beer.

History

Individual examples existed under different names previously in Brazil, but the style became popular under this name after it was formally defined in 2015 during a workshop between craft brewers and homebrewers in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Featuring local ingredients well-suited to the warm climate, the style has spread to other states within Brazil and elsewhere, and is a very popular modern style in South America – both commercially and in homebrew competitions.

Ingredients

Pilsner malt with wheat malt or unmalted wheat. Kettle sour technique with Lacto is most common, followed by fermentation with a neutral ale yeast. Fruit typically added late in fermentation. Fresh seasonal fruit, often tropical. Spices, Herbs, and Vegetables are optional, but always should support and enhance the fruit presentation.

Comparison

Like a stronger Berliner Weisse, but with fresh fruit and no Brett. Less sour than Lambic and Gueuze, and without Brett character. As of the 2021 Guidelines, similar beer could be entered in the broader 28C Wild Specialty Beer style.

Statistics

Type	Min	Max
OG	1.039	1.048
FG	1.004	1.012
IBU	2	8
SRM	2	6
ABV	4.0	5.5.

Commercial Examples

• Armada Daenerys
• Blumenau Catharina Sour Pêssego
• Istepô Goiabêra
• Itajahy Catharina Araçá Sour
• Liffey Coroa Real
• UNIKA Tangerina Clemenules

Tags

• craft-style
• fruit
• sour
• specialty-beer
• south-america