Commercial Examples
Black Flannel Brewing Funk Fusion Sour Series, Commonly produced by American craft breweries as a base for flavored sours.
Black Flannel Academy
Straight Sour Beer | Funk Fusion Series
wild-fermented
A pale, refreshing, sour beer with a clean lactic sourness, featuring gentle malt and moderate fruity esters.
Color
2 – 3 SRM
Bitterness
3 – 8 IBU
Alcohol
4.5 – 7.0% ABV
Sweetness
Off-dry to dry finish with no hop flavor or vinegary notes.
Balance
Clean lactic sourness is dominant; bready, biscuit or grainy flavors provide balance.
History
Historical Development
A modern craft interpretation of clean lactic souring, produced via kettle souring, co-fermentation, or specialty acid-producing yeast.
Modern Evolution
Classic characteristics
Appearance
Pale. Light body with moderate to high carbonation.
Aroma
Sharply sour character dominates with possible fruity notes (peach, apricot, lemon, tart apple). Supportive pale malt is biscuity or crackery with no hop aroma.
Flavor
Clean lactic sourness is dominant; bready, biscuit or grainy flavors provide balance. Citrusy-lemony or tart apple fruitiness may appear. Off-dry to dry finish with no hop flavor or vinegary notes.
Mouthfeel
Light body with moderate to high carbonation. Crisp acidity; no harshness despite higher gravity examples potentially showing warmth.
Flavor Profile Deep Dive
Service notes
BJCP designation
Overall Impression: A pale, refreshing, sour beer with a clean lactic sourness, featuring gentle malt and moderate fruity esters.
Comments: A stronger, less restrictive Berliner Weisse variant without Brett. Typically serves as a base for heavily flavored specialty beers.
Style Comparison: Less acidic than Lambic with restrained funk. Higher alcohol than Berliner Weisse or Lambic.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.048 – 1.065 | FG: 1.006 – 1.013 | IBUs: 3 – 8 | SRM: 2 – 3 | ABV: 4.5 – 7.0%
Source: BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines, bjcp.org, retrieved 2026-09-13. Vital statistics are as published; descriptive text is condensed from the published guideline.
Brewers Association designation
Style comparison
Ingredients
Grain Bill
Pale, Pils or wheat malts dominate the grist. No lactose or maltodextrin. Never Brett.
Brewing process
Food pairings
Spirit pairings
The soundtrack
Keep exploring
- BJCP Guidelines: 28D (Straight Sour Beer)
- Beer Judge Certification Program: BJCP Official Guidelines