King Cake Sour by Urban South Brewery is described as a “milkshake sour” and was judged as a wild specialty beer (BJCP sub-style 28C). It poured gold and mostly clear into the glass, forming a thick white head with excellent retention.

The aroma initially featured some sweet candy notes and a few hop esters and finished with light lactic sourness. The flavor also began with light, sugary candy or glazed donuts and was balanced with a pleasant sourness on the tongue. This well-balanced flavor profile was not suggestive of heavy or more extreme sours such as those including Brettanomyces, but rather something lighter and more approachable for those who are not fans of extremely earthy or exotic sour beers.

The mouthfeel included a light body and modest carbonation, no perceptible alcohol warmth, and a sweet, but not overly cloying, finish that is reminiscent of the icing on the famous Mardi Gras treat for which it is named.

The overall impression left this “blind” reviewer with more questions than answers. No base style was stated, and the apparent malt bill and yeast contributions were insufficient to pin this beer down more definitively. Indeed, like a king cake you taste more of the icing than the cake itself. The assorted clues and general pleasant drinkability recommend it to adventurous drinkers willing to take only a minor risk on a promising if somewhat mysterious fermentable.