Stumptown Tart (2008)
BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub

Stumptown Tart (2008)Stumptown Tart (2008)
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From:
BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 15.62%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
21
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 12, 2012
Added:
Apr 25, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Released April 2008.
Brewed with Oregon marionberries, aged in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by barleywinebrewer:
Photo of barleywinebrewer
Reviewed by barleywinebrewer from New Hampshire

4.27/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
thanks to Tayner for the chance to try this beer. I'll go on record as saying I wouldn't be able to tell you what a marion berry should taste like. Ok, that's off my shoulder and on to the review

a - reddish golden hazy color wiht an off white head that lasts the full glass.
S - sweet tarts, sour notes, slight warming note
T - sweet, tart, almost raspberry fruit note softened by oak.
M - medium bodied, slightly fizzy, tart crisp lingering note
D - at just over 8% this drinks light.

a neat effort that might be considered a big toe in the flanders red category. kudos to bridgeport for going out on a limb with such an unusual combination of ingrediants and aging techniques. Worth a try.
Aug 20, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Nov 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by muchloveforhops3 from Montana

May 25, 2012
Photo of Clamwacker
Reviewed by Clamwacker from Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Well, I haven't had a lot of good American examples of Belgian styles, despite the fact that every brewery has been falling all over themselves in the last few years to do just that.

This will be my first departure from the generalized assumption that every Portland "Belgian" is total backwash.

Stumptown Tart plays itself up as a proper Framboise lambic, and I can't blame them for trying to play that angle. It really is a quality example of what you can do by adding fruit to already-fermenting wort.

However, the fact that they put the word Framboise on the label only means that it has raspberries. This is not a lambic. This is by far the best example of Portland "lambicesque" I have seen, but it still is nowhere near the proper style.

By itself, this is a fantastic brew. It pours a beautiful red color, with a delicious raspberry nose to match, and the malt character stays behind to assault your tastebuds after you've swallowed.

The mouthfeel is great as long as you haven't over-chilled the brew. Letting it sit in my snifter worked out great, and by the end I was enjoying a nearly magical blend of flavor and scent that nearly put this into A-grade territory.

However, the overall drinkability is not what I would expect from a real Belgian lambic. This is many times better than Lindeman's, but that's about as far as I'm willing to go.

I will definitely buy it again because of the fantastic price, but personally I feel that I have brewed better examples in my kitchen. There is absolutely no indication of brettanomyces in this brew.
May 20, 2010
Photo of younger35
Reviewed by younger35 from Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev +14%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Received this beer quite a while ago as an extra from inflateablechair. I've actually had it in my fridge since and somehow just never drank it. Drank from my Ithaca Excelsior tulip.

2008 version

Appearance- Pours a light pinkish orange with a nice one finger off-white head that fizzles and sparkles about my glass. After a few minutes absolytely no cap or collar or lacing is to be found.
Smell- Nice and fruity with brilliantly soft and citric nose from the Marion berries. It does have a strong wine influence from the Pinot Noir barrels as well. Some white grapes and even a touch of strawberry's in the nose. The barrel influence is light but there is a bit of buttery oak hiding in the background.
Taste- Starts lightly tart with a watery sort of red wine vinegar thing. It's very light and sort of twangy. It has way more of a wine aspect than beer. I'm a little confused about the "Belgium Style" listed on the front of the bottle as there isn't really anything Belgiumy about this beer other than maybe the sour. White grapes, a touch of peach and maybe watermelon but I'd never guess berries of any kind were in this (just basing it on the taste). The finish is lightly tannic with touches of grapes and super light vanilla. Oddly enough thought, the 8.3% is nowhere to be found and considering how dainty the beer is, I'm surprised.
Mouthfeel- Very light and watery with absolutely no body. Somehow as the bubbles permeated the beer throughout, the carbonation is very light.
Drinkability- This reminds me more of some weird fruited wine or wine cooler more than a beer. It's definitely tasty but a little body and even a touch of anything Belgium would probably really help. Maybe get a bit of Belgium sugar or malt in here for just a little bit of something extra. That next layer of complexity and flavor is really needed. Thanks much Sam!
Jan 17, 2010
Photo of RedChrome
Reviewed by RedChrome from Connecticut

3.79/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A murky dark orange colored body. Only a thin layer of white froth vanished almost instantly. Tiny fast rising carbonation bubbles seen at edges of the glass.

Strong tart berry aroma upfront in the nose. A hint of a yeast quality hangs on to other scents. Just a faint hint of oak scent behind the others.

Tartness on the tongue is quite pleasant without overpowering. The berry flavors are to be expected, and there is a very faint hops bitterness.

A bit of overwhelming carbonation. Beer is a bit watery, but the flavors do stay on the tongue nicely.

A nice brew. Great dessert beer with lemon mousse. A good example of how to use fruit in beer with good balance. Enjoy one if you can get a bottle.
Aug 23, 2009
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
First, a few (hopefully) interesting facts. Stumptown is neither a community of amputees, nor is it a place where overcaffeinated lumberjacks live. It's a nickname given to Portland, Oregon in the mid-1800s when it was expanding rapidly and builders didn't bother to cart off the tree stumps after clear-cutting forests.

I've heard of Marion (Cocaine) Barry, former mayor of Washington, D.C., but I haven't heard of marion berries. As it turns out, they're a type of blackberry developed in the 1950s in Marion County, Oregon. Now, on to the review.

Glassy kumquat with butter rum colored edges. The pale golden cap is way too fizzy and doesn't have the greatest texture. Nor is it sticky enough to leave any lace. Neither are uncommon in fruit beers and barrel-aged beers, both of which apply here. Oddly enough, there's no hint of purple, red or even pink in liquid or foam.

The nose, although not what was expected, isn't bad. There's a tart fruitiness reminiscent of raspberries, and a mild wild ale funkiness that works pretty well in the grand scheme of things. Apparently, 1/3 of the base 'Belgian golden ale' was infused with marion berries and 2/3 was aged in French oak Pinot Noir barrels.

How can a beer be called 'Belgian Style' when it utilizes an ale yeast strain rather than a Belgian yeast strain? Stumptown Tart doesn't taste the least bit Belgian. That's too damn bad because it would have benefitted from some complex yeast esters. Actually, it tastes like a medicre fruit beer inoculated with bacteria.

The flavor description sounds digusting, but it really isn't. Nor is it overly appealing. I'll give it interesting. It's as if a pint basket's worth of unripe raspberries and grapes were stuffed into a stinky sweat sock, then left to ferment in the midday sun. And then the whole thing was... turned into beer somehow. Fruitiness almost catches up with funkiness as room temperature approaches.

On a positive note, the 8.3% ABV is impressively well-hidden. On a negative note, the body/mouthfeel is subpar. It manages to be both thin and lightly sticky. A shortage of bubbles does it no favors.

Stumptown Tart tastes like an experimental beer that should never have seen the light of day. While it's an intriguing concept, a whole lotta tweaking needs to happen before this whacked out brew is ready for prime time. Belgian yeast and fewer bugs would be great places to start.
Apr 24, 2009
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22oz bottle acquired in trade with riversideAK (thanks!).

Poured a cloudy amberish color with a brown tint and an averaged smaller sized, pink tinged, head. Aromas of wood, some earthiness, berries, somewhat funky, some red wine, and some spices. A lot going on there and I liked it. Tastes of tart berries, vanilla, some wood, fruity, and if I reach, a trace of red wine. Light tartness with a sweet balance. Alcohol content well hidden.

Notes from: 7/15/08
Dec 24, 2008
Photo of FrognutUnl
Reviewed by FrognutUnl from Michigan

3.77/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy brown sugar color (very mud-like) with almost no discernable head.
The nose is of tart berries, cherries, and granny smith apples. Tastes like bitter, tart berries. Having never had marion berries I assume that this is representative of what they taste like. The finish has a rich, dry, sour, oakiness to it. Not much to the mouthfeel worth describing, I would say it is light-medium in body. By the end the taste really grew on my and I would have no trouble finishing the rest of the bomber had my damn wife not drank it.
Nov 14, 2008
Photo of midaszero
Reviewed by midaszero from Washington

4.2/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Hazy ruby amber with lots of bubbles on the side and 1 finger of pink white head that goes down kind of quick

S - Belgian yeast and berries. Also picking up some saison like funk smells.

T - It is like drinking a sour saison. Funky and sour at the same time.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation a little dry

D - Very drinkable I would maybe put it at 6 but not 8.3 ABV. This is much better then the first bottle I had 2 months ago and I would expect it to get better with some more age on it.
Oct 17, 2008
Photo of cswhitehorse
Reviewed by cswhitehorse from California

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The Stumptown Tart came with a good looking lady on the label and a purple thin tin covering. It poured a raspberry hue with a single finger foam head with lacing that reminded me of jumping beans. It had a tight bubble pattern and soapy lacing.

The smell had a slight oak to it. Berries came through as well as a yeast aroma. The taste was tart, sour and full of dark berries. It was yeasty as well. It was semi-dry and the tartness stayed in the mouth for a good while. It was well carbonated and overall a really enjoyable fruit beer.
Sep 04, 2008
Photo of froghop
Reviewed by froghop from Washington

3.52/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
pours a clear almost red with a thin light pink head, with some lacing.

smell is berry, sweet fruit, grain, some citrus, and malt in the back.

taste is quite different, tart, blackberry, raspberry, some spice, and slight amount of wood, end is sour and somewhat dry.
Aug 27, 2008
Photo of rye726
Reviewed by rye726 from Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Keep in mind that this is closer to a wild ale than a fruit beer.

It pours a cloudy raspberry color and has a perfect silky tan head. Excellent lacing.

The nose has a bouquet of tart berries, oaky wine barrels and some musky funk.

The taste is sour and dry up front but finishes with a full palate of ripe fruits, oak and wine.

A medium body is quite dry yet full and crisp on the palate. Very nice. Really opens up at cellar temp.

This is a wonderfull American Wild Ale. It is right up there with the best Belgian versions. Its a shame more breweries don't attempt this this style.
Jul 24, 2008
Photo of RedDiamond
Reviewed by RedDiamond from Oregon

3.19/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I was at first disappointed by Stumptown Tart's complete lack of head and lace. There simply wasn't a thread of either to be found. I know as with most styles, a fruited Belgian-style sour beer has lots of room for interpretation and needn't be overly frothy. But the complete absence of drapery was troubling. The beer looked naked.

Despite its lack of ornament, carbonation was brisk and I enjoyed the translucent cranberry-gold body and black cherry aroma. The flavor is not especially sour, nor overly beerish in the sense of malt and hops, but tastes fruity and inhibited, like a berry juice spritzer or wine cooler. And despite the name, it's not overly tart.

Not bad, but not a mandatory call.
Jul 22, 2008
Photo of Metalmonk
Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

3.82/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Big thanks to PDX Pusha msubulldog25 for hooking me up with this bottle, autographed by the label model, no less! Sweet.

The pour itself was unpleasant, as it was a crazy gusher, like a fountain spurting foam, and I lost some beer to it. Some went up my right nostril as I was trying to perform a rescue straight from the bottle. It's still sizzling in the bottle 5 minutes later. Didn't do anything to agitate it, stored it properly, served it cool, so who knows. Color-wise it's a cloudy red-rust with a moderate head of super-tiny bubbles. Thin web-like strings of lace slash the sides of the glass. No minus points for the gushing, I don't hold grudges.

Smells lambic-esque, the marion berries checking in strongly while the French oak barrel aspect is more subtle. Tart fruit fumes in the nose, with yeast on the funky side. I know they didn't use a Belgian yeast strain (why not?), but they were able to wrangle some wickedness out of the yeast anyway. Alcohol is a bit wild, but the milder band-aid aspect of the yeast is a good offset. Very Belgian in character.

Berries are up-front and tart, while the funky yeast is polite enough to stay in the background and let the main features do their thing. Caramel/cookie-dough creeps in unexpectedly, while the oak barrels don't really exert themselves heavily upon the flavor. There's just the slightest hint of earthy wood in the background. Fruit and yeast pungency mingle in the finish, some alcohol warmth in the aftertaste too. Not ultra-complex, but enough depth to make for an excellent match on this hot summer afternoon.

Texture might've lost a little of its attack due to the gushing...Just a guess. It's soft, delicate even, with only mildly tingly bubbles at work. And a whole lotta lemonade-like pucker.

Other than the gushing, I found very little to dislike about this beer. At 8.3% it's dangerously drinkable, especially if you're into tartness and yeast character. Would drink this on occasion if it were available here, but it's also one where if I never have it again, I'm just happy to have had one and to move on to other things. Give it a shot.
Jul 13, 2008
Photo of mnapier
Reviewed by mnapier from Washington

3.32/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Service Temperature, 45 degress. Service Glassware, 12 ounce tulip.

Appearance, burgandy & hazy with a mild white foamy head with no lace left behind.
Smell is oaked, with some floral, mild sourness

Taste is tart, with some sweetness and a mild to medium overall mouthfeel.

Overall I would suggest this to someone new to oak aged sour ales.

Cheers
Jul 08, 2008
Photo of tayner
Reviewed by tayner from Arizona

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22 oz bottle with a raspberry colored foil.

Poured this into a Victory Hopdevil pint glass as there were no tulip glasses handy. It poured a tan crayon color when lit, and when not lit it appeared sort of a cranberry juice color. The head was bright white and a bit fizzy, and it dissipated to a ring which did not lace, but did remain for the entire pint. For a beer of 8.3% the head held up nice and looks very good.

Smell is dominated by sour wood. There is some slight sweetness in the background, but it is very faint. Smell isnt really complex, but it is still very appealing to me.

The taste up front is like sour candy. It isnt over the top sour, but very tart. It has some slight sweetness, guessing due to the type of pinot noir barrels it was aged in, but that is very minimal. There is some oaky flavor in this as well. The taste is not very complex, and does not compare to a wild ale or lambic as far as the sour part goes, but this beer claims to be neither, it is a simple fruit beer, and for that it is very nice.

Mouthfeel is very light and refreshing. It is not heavy and sweet like alot of fruit beers, i prefer the ones that hit sour notes instead of sweet.

As for drinkability, I made a mistake of putting it in a pint glass because i basically finished off half the bomber in a half dozen drinks. I had to make myself slow down the second hald because i wanted to enjoy it more, and at 8.3%, chuggin it gave me a slight buzz for a minute ;)

If you are looking for a complex wild ale, this is not the beer, but if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive tart fruit beer, then check this one out.
Jun 20, 2008
Photo of josiahschlender
Reviewed by josiahschlender from Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
The bottle was intriguing enough for me pull the trigger on this Bridgeport bomber. It's part of Bridgeport's "big beer" series. The last one I had--their whiskey barrel aged barleywine--was superb. Too bad beauty was mostly skin-deep here.

Definitely a cool looking bottle, with distinctive purple foil wrapping. Maybe this beer is alluding to the Portland's reputation for having one of the US city highest per-capita amount of strip clubs?

Poured in a wine glass. Not much of a head, but the body is an acceptable hazy orange-brown. I didn't have much of an inkling what it would look like, but it didn't take on much, if any of the distinctive blackberry purple.

Smell is pretty muted at first when colder. As it warmed. aromas improved, definitely getting sweet fruits, as well as a bit of unripe fruit sour notes (yeasts), definite alcohol, and just a bit of caramel grains?

I'm torn a bit on the flavor. I keep trying to decide whether I like it much. Sour beers have been growing on me recently. With that said, I'm getting a fair amount of sour fruits and what I perceive as some yeastiness. (but not the mind-blowing complexity that make some Belgians what they are) When it was colder, I was detecting some roasted grains, but they're fading as other flavors develop with more warmth. It is a bit like an unripe blackberry... was that what Bridgeport was going for?

Strangely, flavors don't mingle or last as long as I expected, either. Finish is pretty quick, with a light and lively mouthfeel. It works with the flavors.

My drinkability score often reflects the price. Definitely the case with this beer, which set me back over $5 for the bomber. I'm not really regretting trying it, but I also know that I can get many world-class beers for the same amount or less. Plus, being on the sour side, it's not a beer I can down without some effort.
Jun 16, 2008
Photo of 1whiskey
Reviewed by 1whiskey from Oregon

2.12/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
22 oz bomber poured into a pint glass.This is a hazy garnet color with a light beige head.

Smell is nearly non-existent. Faint (very faint) berry...that's it.

Taste is certainly unusual...mostly like unripe blackberries. I can feel the alcohol heat after two sips. I like Bridgeport (generally), I like Belgians, and I like blackberries. But this just does not work.

Frankly, the best part of Stumptown Tart is the label (which is great, btw). This is also not "Belgian Style" as far as I can tell, and more sour than "tart". I don't mind sour if it's done right, but this is unpleasant. Too much alcohol, not enough yeasty esters, and no noticeable malt backbone.

Mouthfeel is thin and cider-like, and the alcohol heat tends to dominate. As for drinkability, I'm not even going to finish this glass.

This was a big disappointment. I just can't recommend it.
May 05, 2008
Photo of ccrida
Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

2.45/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
Small keg served in a small nonic at their release party. Murky magenta with a wispy little white collar.

Smell is super faint, at first, literally nothing. As it warms, you get a little of the marrionberries and sugars, and it seems thick.

Taste is marrionberries (which are tart blackberry hybrids) with an overwhelming boozy, malt liquor like backdrop. This reminds me of Boones Farm. Not good. I'd hate to have tasted the base beer before they added the berries and threw it in the barrels (which I supposed is why they think they can claim it's Belgian style?)...Aftertaste is tart berries, a touch grainy, like corn pops without the sugar. The fusels gave me a headache, and the overall experience was weak. I'm glad I didn't have to suffer through a whole bomber, I got there a little late, right when they tapped the keg, but up to that point they had only been selling the bombers. I noticed most other people at the release party seemed to enjoy it though, talk about drinking the kool-aide...Go marketing team! If you like sour fruit beers, save your money and head over to raccoon lodge, who are totally doing it right.

Mouthfeel is slightly dry, crisp and medium bodied, but leaves very heavy tannins on the teeth.

Drinkability is low for me. I knew going into it that it really wasn't Belgian style, but used their house ale strain for the primary, without any bacteria added to the secondary. That was a bad call IMHO opinion. I overheard some commentary from the staff that explains the disconnect. The brewers wanted to go full bore Belgian. This got shot down for approachability, ending up with this mess. If they were going to go for a wine cooler like fruit ale, they should have dropped the ABV to about 5% - and redid the label! Calling it a Belgian Style, part of their Big Beer series, and releasing it as is will surely disappoint the beer geek crowd (which is rather large in Portland). If they have any left in barrels, they should do the world a favor and inoculate those suckers and see if the bugs don't dry it out and add enough funk to overpower the fusels. I bought two bombers for the heck of it, only $5 each (bridgeport's saving grace), to throw in the cellar. By the time I decide to bust them out, I'm sure the fruit will have faded substantially, and frankly, I doubt it will be any better.
Apr 30, 2008
Stumptown Tart (2008) from BridgePort Brewing Co. / Brewpub
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 21 ratings