Aether Brewing Witching Hour Blackberry Sour – RETIRED

Most beers are good to drink in summer… but some beers were born for it.

Witching Hour Blackberry Sour (an occult-ish name softened by a delightful rhyme) is Aether Brewing’s summer seasonal release, and it’s a beer that grabs you right from the moment you see the impressive gothic artwork on the decal or can.

The pour isn’t the dark purple of the fresh Queensland blackberry puree that was added to the brew. Instead, the combination of the blackberries and the classic light gold of the Berliner weisse make for a slightly opaque deep pink – think ruby grapefruit, or guava juice. The fluffy white head gives a waft of berry tang to the nose, before dissipating and inviting you to venture further.

Though the name hints at a terror not suitable for children, the taste brings on a flurry of nostalgic memories of childhood. The fizziness: Fruit Tingles tingling away on your tongue. The sharp tartness: berries picked and gobbled after school, causing you to pull a face before going back for more. The sourness: berry Warheads going to work on your middle palate and making your mouth water. The acidity: Wizz Fizz sherbet, shared with friends and yet still in abundance.

Finally, the lingering aftertaste is a slow transition from the tartness of the berries to a subtle breadiness from the wheat, reminding you that this is in fact a Berliner weisse, not a portal to your 12-year-old self. The malts keep the beer well-balanced, so the blackberry is never overpowering, and yet they’re the main thing you remember after the fact.

Refreshing and palate-cleansing. Best consumed at a barbecue on a stinking hot summer’s day. Or, you know, with ominous storm clouds threatening and bats flying overhead.

Mick Wust

Published January 16, 2018

Name
Aether Brewing
Address

340 Melton Road
Northgate
QLD 4013

Phone
1800 325 013
Open Hours

Friday: 3pm to 7pm
Sat & Sun: midday to 7pm

Black Bad Boy Bao 2024 B
CBCo Goldy

More from Aether Brewing

Aether Brewing Summer Of Sour: Barrel-Aged Raspberry
Barrel-Aged Raspberry Berliner Weisse
5.8%
Aether Brewing Summer of Sour: 2023 Pet Nat & Imperial Blackberry Breakfast Smoothie
Barrel-Aged Beer-Wine Hybrid & Imperial Fruit Smoothie Sour
7.0% & 8.0% ABV
Aether Brewing Oaked Imperial Ginger Beer
Oak-Aged Imperial Ginger Beer
7.8%
Aether Brewing Black XPA
Black XPA
5.2%
Aether Brewing Biscoff Porter
Biscoff Porter
8.0%
Aether Brewing Barrel Aged Old Ale
Barrel-Aged Old Ale
6.2%
Aether Brewing Barrel Aged Cherry Sour & Peanut Butter Stout
Barrel-Aged Cherry Sour & Peanut Butter Stout
5.8% & 7.0%
Aether Brewing Sparkling Sour
Berliner Weisse
4.0%
Aether Brewing American Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
5.0%
Aether Brewing Twisted Vine Passionfruit & Blood Orange NEIPA
Fruited NEIPA
5.5%
Aether Brewing Summer of Sour: Yuzu Sake, Royal Fruit Cup & Strawberry Creamsicle
Fruited Sours
4.5% & 5.5% & 8.0%
Aether Brewing Blueberry NEIPA
Blueberry NEIPA
6.2%
Aether Brewing Anti Matter Cascadian Dark Lager
Cascadian Dark Lager
5.0%
Aether Brewing Junkyard Giant Barrel-Aged Red Rye IIPA
Barrel-Aged Red Rye IIPA
9.3%
Aether Brewing Mulled Wine Imperial Stout
Mulled Imperial Stout
10.0%
Aether Brewing Creme Brûlée
Dessert Beer
8.0%
Aether Brewing Southern Haze
Hazy Pale Ale
4.0%
Aether Oak & Organisms: Intertwined & Severance
Barrel-Aged Beer-Wine Hybrid & Truffled Witbier
6.8% & 6.5%
Aether Brewing Oak & Organisms: Respite
Barrel-Aged Breakfast Stout
8.2%
Aether Brewing Event Horizon
Spiced Rum Porter
6.7%