Penrose Session Sour 4Pk

Penrose Session Sour 4Pk is a kettle-soured session ale brewed with Amarillo hops at 4.0% ABV, sold in a 4-pack format. Part of Penrose Brewing Company's low-ABV kettle-soured series, this beer has earned a 3.7 out of 5 on Untappd across more than 7,800 ratings, reflecting consistent approval from the craft beer community for its approachable tartness and fruit-forward character.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.0%  |  Origin: Geneva, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Kettle Sour  |  Brewery: Penrose Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Penrose Brewing Company operates out of 509 Stevens Street in Geneva, Illinois, a Fox River Valley town with a growing craft beer scene. The Session Sour belongs to Penrose's dedicated low-ABV kettle-soured series, a lineup built around clean lactic tartness achieved through kettle souring — a technique where the wort is acidified with lactobacillus before the boil, producing controlled sourness without the unpredictability of barrel-aged wild fermentation. What distinguishes this particular expression is the addition of Amarillo hops, a variety prized for its pronounced grapefruit and citrus oil aromatics, which layer bright hop character on top of the sour base without adding significant bitterness.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with tart, citrusy fruit — think fresh grapefruit zest and ripe apricot. Behind that initial brightness, subtler hints of white grape and pear emerge, giving the aroma a shandy-like freshness.

Taste: The entry is immediately tart but never sharp, with clean lactic sourness hitting the front palate. Mid-palate, stone fruit flavors of peach and apricot unfold alongside notes of apple and cherry. The Amarillo hops deliver a distinct grapefruit pop that carries through to the peak, balancing the sour character with citrus zest brightness.

Finish: The finish is light-bodied and smooth, with lingering tartness and only the most modest bitterness. It dries clean, encouraging another sip without any cloying residue.

How to Drink Session Sour

At 4.0% ABV, this beer is built for extended drinking sessions straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate the aromatics. Serve cold, ideally between 38–45°F. Its tart, fruit-forward profile also makes it a strong base for beer cocktails: try it in a Radler, where its natural citrus notes complement lemonade without becoming overly sweet; a Sour Shandy, blending it with ginger ale for a spritzy, refreshing summer drink; or a Berliner Mule, pairing it with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime for a beer-based riff on the classic Moscow Mule.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and warm-weather day drinking where low ABV matters
• Introducing a friend to sour beer styles without overwhelming acidity
• Pairing with a weekend brunch spread alongside lighter fare
• Stocking a cooler for a beach or camping trip when you want flavor and easy sessionability

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Session Sour taste like? Penrose Session Sour delivers clean, tart sourness layered with peach, apricot, and grapefruit citrus zest flavors, finishing smooth with very modest bitterness. It reads as tart rather than sharp, with a lighter body that keeps it refreshing.

How does Session Sour compare to a traditional Berliner Weisse? Both are low-ABV, wheat-forward sour styles, but Session Sour distinguishes itself with the use of Amarillo hops, which contribute a pronounced grapefruit character not typically found in a classic Berliner Weisse. Traditional Berliner Weisse tends toward a simpler lemon-bread tartness, while Session Sour leans more fruit-forward and hop-aromatic.

Is Session Sour good for beginners? Its 4.0% ABV and controlled kettle-soured tartness make it an excellent entry point into sour beer styles. The fruit-forward flavor and smooth finish avoid the aggressive acidity that can intimidate first-time sour drinkers.

Where is Session Sour made? Session Sour is brewed by Penrose Brewing Company at their facility at 509 Stevens Street in Geneva, Illinois, located in the Fox River Valley west of Chicago.

What foods pair well with Session Sour? Its tartness and light body make it a natural match for grilled shrimp, where the citrus notes echo a squeeze of lemon; fresh goat cheese salads, as the acidity cuts through the creaminess; fish tacos with a citrus slaw; fruit-based desserts like peach cobbler or apricot tart; and Thai green papaya salad, where the sour-on-sour interplay amplifies both the beer and the dish.

What sizes does Session Sour come in? The Session Sour is available in a 4-pack format, which is the standard retail configuration for this release.

Is Session Sour worth the price? Session Sour positions as a craft session sour at an accessible price tier, delivering genuine kettle-soured complexity and hop-driven fruit character that outperforms many mass-market sour offerings. For drinkers seeking a flavorful, low-ABV sour without a premium craft price tag, it represents solid value.

Why Session Sour?

What sets Penrose Session Sour apart from the growing crowd of kettle sours is the deliberate pairing of Amarillo hops with the sour base, producing a grapefruit-citrus brightness that gives the beer a defined personality rather than generic tartness. At 4.0% ABV, it occupies a sweet spot where flavor density and sessionability genuinely coexist — a balance many low-ABV sours struggle to achieve. Its 3.7 Untappd rating across over 7,800 reviews speaks to reliable, repeatable quality rather than hype-cycle novelty. For anyone building a cooler around drinkability and actual flavor, this is a kettle sour that earns repeat purchases on merit.