Traditional/Wild Sours

Sour beers get their tartness from bacteria (typically Lactobacillus or Pediococcus) rather than, or in addition to, standard brewing yeast. Traditional/wild sours are fermented spontaneously with airborne wild yeast and bacteria, then aged in wooden barrels for months to years; Flanders red and oud bruin are similarly sour Belgian styles, aged in wood and sometimes blended across vintages.

Profile

Tart, complex, wood-aged, often blended across vintages.

Notable Examples

Lambic, Gueuze, Flanders red, oud bruin.