Antidogma
Leelanau Brewing Company

 

Popped the top of Leelanau’s Antidogma and my kitchen smelled like a cooperage, that’s how much bourbon barrel it gave off. The nose in this Wild Ale Stout is redolent of more dark fruit than I have space available. But the tart sour cherry that appears in the nose seems to dominate on the palate. I normally like my stouts on the sweetish side, but the slight sourness in here works wonderfully well with the chocolate malts , the coffee and vanilla flavors and, of course, the bourbon. Superbly balanced and extraordinarily complex, this 8.5% gem is a fitting way for me to say goodbye to 2017, and, if I can find another, to say hello to 2018 in a few hours. Hat tip to my favorite middle son Kaz for putting this baby under my tree...

 

750 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big tart/sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, raisin, plum, fig, currant, lemon, green apple, red grape, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of licorice, pepper, smoke, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, raisin, plum, fig, currant, lemon, green apple, red grape, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, hay, straw, and grass; with lighter notes of licorice, pepper, smoke, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/roasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, yeast/oak spiciness, and mild roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, raisin, plum, fig, currant, lemon, green apple, red grape, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, hay, straw, grass, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/roasted earthiness. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/spiciness balance, and zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness for tartness and yeast/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, fairly acidic/tannic, and lightly silky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with a mild warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged sour imperial stout. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on with the modestly lactic/tannic finish. Great bourbon barrel presence, with spot on balance between classic Jolly Pumpkin house funk and roast/bready malts. Feels like more of a sour and less of a stout than the previous releases. A bit thinner than the others, but has adequate body and is still nicely rich. A really enjoyable offering.