Humble Forager Coastal Sunset 4Pk

Humble Forager Coastal Sunset 4Pk is a fruited dessert sour ale brewed at 6.0% ABV, sold as a four-pack of cans. Inspired by classic ambrosia salad, this release layers pineapple, tangerine, cherry, coconut, marshmallow, walnuts, and vanilla beans over a tart, low-bitterness base beer. Humble Forager Brewery earned RateBeer's "Best New Brewer" in Wisconsin for 2020, and the Coastal Sunset V4 received an 89-point score from BJCP-certified judges in a blind tasting for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6.0%  |  Origin: Waunakee, Wisconsin, USA  |  Style: Fruited Dessert Pastry Sour  |  Brewery: Humble Forager Brewery

Production & Heritage

Humble Forager Brewery was founded in 2019 by Austin Jevne, former co-founder and head brewer of Forager Brewery. Production takes place at Octopi Brewing Company in Waunakee, Wisconsin, a well-regarded contract facility known for its quality control. The Coastal Sunset base beer is deliberately brewed to extremely low bitterness, allowing the fruit additions—pineapple, tangerine, cherry, and coconut—along with marshmallow, walnuts, and vanilla beans to dominate the flavor profile without hop interference. The series has seen multiple versions (V1 through V5 and beyond), each tweaking the fruit and adjunct ratios while maintaining the ambrosia dessert concept.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cherry arrives first, backed by soft marshmallow sweetness and delicate vanilla bean. A tropical undercurrent of pineapple and tangerine emerges as the beer warms.

Taste: The entry is lush with cherry and tangerine, carrying a gentle tartness that keeps the sweetness in check. Mid-palate, toasted coconut and marshmallow create a creamy, dessert-like richness. Walnut adds a subtle nutty dimension, while vanilla beans round everything into a cohesive, pastry-forward finish on the tongue.

Finish: Medium in length with a smooth, lightly coating mouthfeel. Residual cherry sweetness and coconut linger, fading into a clean, balanced sourness.

How to Drink Coastal Sunset

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-rimmed snifter at 40–45°F to let the aromatics open fully. This beer is best enjoyed on its own as a dessert course or alongside lighter fare. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try a Coastal Sunset Shandy blended with fresh-squeezed lemonade for a tart summer drink, a Sour Float topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to amplify the dessert character, or a Tropical Radler mixed with sparkling grapefruit soda for a refreshing, lower-intensity pour.

Best For

• Introducing sour-curious friends to pastry-style ales
• Pairing with a warm-weather brunch or backyard gathering
• Serving as a liquid dessert course after a summer dinner
• Gifting to craft beer collectors who seek limited-run fruited sours

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Coastal Sunset taste like? Coastal Sunset delivers a medley of cherry, tangerine, pineapple, and coconut wrapped in marshmallow and vanilla sweetness, held together by a restrained tartness. The overall impression is reminiscent of a fruity ambrosia salad in liquid form.

How does Coastal Sunset compare to Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing? Wild Little Thing is a lighter, more straightforward slightly sour ale with guava, hibiscus, and strawberry at 5.5% ABV, designed for easy session drinking. Coastal Sunset is richer and more dessert-forward, with heavier adjunct layering—marshmallow, coconut, walnuts, and vanilla—targeting drinkers who want a pastry sour experience rather than a refreshment-first approach.

Is Coastal Sunset good for sipping on its own? Yes, the low bitterness and layered fruit-and-dessert character make it very approachable as a standalone sipper. Its moderate 6.0% ABV also keeps it sessionable enough for multiple pours.

Where is Coastal Sunset made? Coastal Sunset is produced by Humble Forager Brewery, founded by Austin Jevne in 2019, and contract brewed at Octopi Brewing Company in Waunakee, Wisconsin.

What foods pair well with Coastal Sunset? Fresh fruit tarts complement the beer's tangerine and cherry notes; coconut macaroons echo the coconut and vanilla in the brew; a light arugula salad with goat cheese provides a savory counterpoint to the sweetness; vanilla panna cotta mirrors the creamy vanilla bean backbone; and mild, young cheeses like fresh mozzarella balance the tartness without competing for attention.

What sizes does Coastal Sunset come in? The standard retail format is a four-pack of cans, which is the most widely available configuration for this release.

Is Coastal Sunset worth the price? Coastal Sunset positions in the premium craft tier, reflecting the heavy fruit and adjunct additions plus limited-batch production. For drinkers who appreciate heavily fruited pastry sours, the complexity and ingredient density justify its place above everyday session sours.

Why Coastal Sunset?

The Coastal Sunset series stands out in the crowded pastry sour category because of its specific dessert concept—ambrosia salad—rather than a generic fruit dump. The extremely low-bitterness base beer is purpose-built to let fruit and adjunct character dominate without astringent interference, a detail that separates it from many competitors. An 89-point blind-tasting score from BJCP judges for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine confirms that the execution delivers beyond the ambitious ingredient list. For anyone seeking a dessert sour with genuine layering and a clear culinary point of view, Coastal Sunset earns serious consideration.