Here’s a beer that’s perfect for the warmer days of spring and the approaching hot weather of summer: New Belgium Tartastic, a sour ale brewed with lemons and ginger. Who doesn’t like a tall cool glass of lemonade when its warm, tart and quenching as it is with juicy lemon sourness? Tartastic brings that refreshing character home, but in a beer. You can thank New Belgium later.

I first saw Tartastic hitting store shelves in early 2017, but it wasn’t until Aril 3^rd that I tried a mug at my local Taco mac in Canton. Taco Mac was running a special on sour beers, and included Tartastic in a flight along with Rogue Paradise Pucker, Rodenbach Fruitage, and another beer I Wicked Weed Pacificmost.

From the New Belgium website:

Brace yourself for a refreshingly tart snap. Tartastic's lacto sour profile and fruity, spicy undertones enliven the taste buds with each bright, sessionable sip.

Ingredient list culled from the same source:

Hops Nugget

Malts Pale, White Wheat

Fruits/Spices Lemon, ginger

New Belgium Tartastic has an alcohol content of 4.5% by volume with 3 (count ‘em!) IBUs and I paid $5.75 for a 20-ounce mug at Taco Mac. Six-packs run as low as $8.49, and that is a deal these days my friends so extra credit for that.

My mug of New Belgium Tartastic arrived a hazy yellow color with a prodigious fluffy (if short-lived) head and fresh ginger and lemon rind in the nose. Taking a sip, I got more bright citrusy lemon and pungent spicy ginger in the palate along with tart refreshing wheat and a quenching, satisfying sour lactic and citrus finish.

All in all, I was well pleased with New Belgium Tartastic, and the crisp refreshing wheaty-citrus-sourness went very well with a plate of Taco Mac’s insanely good Buffalo Wings.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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