Young Blood Ninth Year Senior 4Pk

Young Blood Ninth Year Senior 4Pk is a fruited sour ale brewed with blackberry, strawberry, kiwi, graham cracker, and vanilla, sold in a 4-pack format. This collaboration between Madison's Young Blood Beer Co. and Lion's Tail Brewing Co. of Neenah, Wisconsin, carries a strong 4.2 out of 5 rating on Untappd across more than 730 reviews.

Quick Facts: Style: Fruited Sour Ale  |  Origin: Wisconsin, USA  |  Brewery: Young Blood Beer Co. × Lion's Tail Brewing Co.  |  Format: 4-Pack

Production & Heritage

Young Blood Beer Co. operates out of Madison, Wisconsin, and has built a reputation around bold, fruit-forward sour ales. Ninth Year Senior is a collaborative release with Lion's Tail Brewing Co., based in Neenah, Wisconsin, combining the strengths of both breweries in the fruited sour category. The beer is conditioned on blackberry, strawberry, and kiwi, then layered with graham cracker and vanilla additions that push it into pastry-sour territory — a style that has surged in popularity among craft beer enthusiasts.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe blackberry and strawberry dominate the nose immediately, followed by a subtle sweetness reminiscent of vanilla wafer and toasted graham cracker. A hint of tropical tartness from the kiwi rounds out the aromatics.

Taste: The entry is bright with berry-forward acidity — blackberry and strawberry hit first, delivering a jammy sweetness balanced by sour ale tartness. Mid-palate, the kiwi lends a green tropical note, while graham cracker and vanilla emerge to add a creamy, dessert-like body. The interplay between fruit acidity and pastry sweetness keeps each sip layered without becoming cloying.

Finish: Medium in length with lingering berry tartness and a soft vanilla exhale. The graham cracker quality fades last, leaving a dry, biscuit-like close that invites another sip.

How to Drink Ninth Year Senior

Best served chilled, around 40–45°F, in a tulip glass or snifter to concentrate the aromatic complexity. This is a sipping beer meant to be enjoyed on its own rather than as a cocktail ingredient. That said, adventurous drinkers have found fruited sours like this one work in a Berliner Weisse Spritz topped with sparkling water for a refreshing summer drink, a Sour Shandy blended with fresh lemonade to amplify the tartness, or a Berry Radler mixed with grapefruit soda for a lighter, effervescent serve.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who gravitates toward sour and pastry-style ales
• Sharing at a summer cookout or patio session where fruit-forward beers shine
• Adding variety to a curated tasting flight of Wisconsin-brewed sours
• Treating yourself to a dessert-adjacent beer after dinner in place of a heavy stout

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ninth Year Senior taste like? Ninth Year Senior delivers a tart, fruit-forward sour ale experience dominated by blackberry and strawberry, with supporting notes of kiwi, graham cracker, and vanilla that give it a pastry-like sweetness beneath the acidity.

How does Ninth Year Senior compare to Untitled Art fruited sours? Both are produced in Wisconsin and occupy the fruited-sour and pastry-sour category, but Ninth Year Senior distinguishes itself through its specific three-fruit combination of blackberry, strawberry, and kiwi alongside graham cracker and vanilla. Untitled Art tends to release a wider rotation of single-adjunct and dessert-inspired sours, while this Young Blood collaboration focuses on layering multiple fruit and pastry elements in a single beer.

Is Ninth Year Senior good for sipping on its own? Yes — the balance of fruit tartness and vanilla-graham sweetness makes it highly drinkable as a standalone pour. Serve it chilled in a tulip glass to get the full aromatic experience.

Where is Ninth Year Senior made? Ninth Year Senior is a collaboration between Young Blood Beer Co. in Madison, Wisconsin, and Lion's Tail Brewing Co. in Neenah, Wisconsin. Both breweries are rooted in the Wisconsin craft beer scene.

What foods pair well with Ninth Year Senior? Fresh cheesecake complements the graham cracker and vanilla notes. Grilled chicken with a berry glaze echoes the fruit-forward tartness. A charcuterie board with soft cheeses like brie balances the acidity. Dark chocolate brownies contrast the sour profile with richness. A simple mixed berry salad mirrors and extends the beer's fruit character.

What sizes does Ninth Year Senior come in? Ninth Year Senior is sold in a 4-pack format, the standard release configuration from Young Blood Beer Co. for this collaboration.

Is Ninth Year Senior worth the price? Ninth Year Senior positions as a premium craft sour ale, reflecting the cost of a limited collaboration release with multiple fruit and pastry adjuncts. For fans of the fruited sour category, its 4.2 Untappd rating across hundreds of reviews suggests it delivers well above average quality for its tier.

Why Ninth Year Senior?

This beer stands out because it represents two Wisconsin breweries — Young Blood and Lion's Tail — combining their expertise in a single, adjunct-rich sour ale. The specific combination of blackberry, strawberry, and kiwi layered with graham cracker and vanilla is not a formula you see widely replicated, giving Ninth Year Senior a distinct identity in a crowded fruited-sour market. A 4.2 rating on Untappd from over 730 reviews signals consistent quality, not just hype from a small sample. For anyone exploring the intersection of fruit-driven tartness and pastry-style sweetness in craft beer, this collaboration earns serious consideration.