Vault City Bake Off New York Cheesecake 44cl 5.3% is a Blueberry, Cherry & Vanilla Cheesecake Sour created in collaboration with Kings County Brewers Collective, better known as KCBC, from Brooklyn, New York.
Part of Vault City's Bake Off series, this limited release takes inspiration from one of New York's most famous desserts. The unmistakable combination of fruit, vanilla and creamy cheesecake is recreated through the lens of the Edinburgh brewery's modern sour beer style.
Blueberries and cherries provide the fruit at the centre of the beer. Blueberry contributes ripe, juicy berry character, while cherry brings a brighter tartness that works naturally with Vault City's sour base. Vanilla then adds a sweeter, softer dimension, helping create the impression of rich cheesecake rather than simply a mixed berry sour.
The result sits firmly in the modern dessert-sour category: fruit-forward, tart, creamy and designed to evoke the flavours of the dessert that inspired it.
At 5.3% ABV, New York Cheesecake is relatively approachable in strength despite its indulgent flavour profile. The combination of acidity and fruit prevents the sweeter dessert character from dominating, with tart cherry in particular providing contrast to the vanilla and creamy elements.
For anyone discovering modern sour beer, this is a good example of the style's more experimental side. Rather than recreating traditional European sour styles, Vault City uses fermentation, fruit and dessert-inspired ingredients to build something deliberately contemporary.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Deep berry tones with the rich appearance expected from a heavily fruited sour.
- Aroma: Ripe blueberry, tart cherry and sweet vanilla with a creamy dessert character.
- Flavour: Juicy blueberry leads into brighter cherry acidity, followed by smooth vanilla and rich cheesecake-inspired sweetness.
- Mouthfeel: Full, smooth and creamy with lively acidity providing balance.
- Finish: Tart berries linger alongside sweet vanilla and a soft dessert-like character.
Fruit and acidity are central to the balance. Blueberry provides a softer berry sweetness while cherry contributes a sharper edge, allowing the beer to retain the tart character expected of a sour despite its cheesecake inspiration.
Vanilla ties the different elements together, adding the familiar sweet aroma and flavour associated with classic cheesecake.
Serve chilled, but not ice cold, to allow the fruit and vanilla aromas to develop as the beer warms slightly in the glass.
About the Brewery
Vault City Brewing is based in Portobello, Edinburgh and specialises in modern sour beer. Since its founding in 2018, the brewery has developed a reputation for heavily fruited sours and unusual flavour combinations inspired by everything from desserts and sweets to cocktails.
Mixed fermentation and Vault City's house culture form the foundation for its sour beers, with fruit and other ingredients then used to create the distinctive flavour of individual releases.
For New York Cheesecake, Vault City teamed up with Kings County Brewers Collective from Brooklyn. KCBC is an independent New York brewery established by three experienced brewers and became the first brick-and-mortar production brewery to operate in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighbourhood in decades when it opened in 2016.
The transatlantic collaboration is particularly fitting for the Bake Off concept. With KCBC representing New York, the breweries chose one of the city's most famous desserts as their inspiration.
The result combines Vault City's expertise in fruit-forward sour beer with a flavour profile unmistakably inspired by New York cheesecake.
Food Pairings
Unsurprisingly, New York Cheesecake works particularly well with desserts.
Classic baked cheesecake is the most direct pairing. A plain vanilla cheesecake allows the blueberry and cherry in the beer to supply the fruit component, while the beer's acidity provides contrast to the dense, creamy dessert.
Dark chocolate is another strong option. Its bitterness contrasts with the sweet vanilla and ripe berry flavours while cherry and chocolate are naturally complementary.
Try it with vanilla ice cream for a simpler pairing, or alongside a berry dessert such as blueberry pie, cherry tart or mixed berry crumble.
Creamy cheeses can also work surprisingly well. Brie or another soft-ripened cheese provides richness for the beer's acidity to cut through, while its berry flavours act almost like a fruit accompaniment to the cheese.
New York Cheesecake also works perfectly well on its own after dinner. With fruit, acidity, vanilla and a rich dessert-inspired character already in the glass, it can effectively take the place of dessert.
Try More Like This
If you enjoy Vault City New York Cheesecake, our Sour & Lambic range is the best place to discover more fruit sours, dessert-inspired releases and traditional sour beer styles.
Sour beer is also a useful discovery route for TheCru.ie, with searches including "sour beer", "sour beers" and "sour beer Ireland" already bringing visibility to the site. Vault City's releases give drinkers an opportunity to explore the more modern, fruit-heavy end of that category.
For an even wider selection, browse our Craft Beer & Craft Cider collection for new releases across IPA, lager, stout, sour beer and other styles.
Vault City Bake Off New York Cheesecake combines juicy blueberry, tart cherry and smooth vanilla in a 5.3% dessert-inspired sour created with Brooklyn's KCBC – a suitably indulgent interpretation of an iconic New York dessert.
Shop the best of craft beer Ireland and from around the world online with TheCru.ie or in our Dublin craft beer store, Carry Out Tyrrelstown in Dublin 15.