Barrel-Aged Brown Ale - Balaton Sour Cherries
Stone Brewing

Draft at Bitter Creek. Medium brown, flat pour. Definitely sour aromas, some of the darker malts in the background. Mild astringency, sourness, but still kind of sweet.

June 5th, 2015 - This is the kind of beer that made the South Park tasting room such a legend. Little barrel aged one offs would appear time and again and rotate with frequency. And they were always interesting, like this Aged Brown Ale with Balaton Sour Cherries. The body of the brew is a deep mahogany but the foam has just a touch of pink to it. High and acidic, the nose is strong and raw, and crisps the edges of my nostrils with a sharp oak note. The body is lighter with a busy palate that is not as shrieking as the nose. Cherries and oak chips blend to make this a bold brew, with applewood for a touch of softness. The alcohol doesn't burn my eyebrows off, but it's still quite strong. If the start is strong, the aftertaste is mellow, like a slow simmering sherry.

 

 

 

 

 

The flirtation of sour ale among the craft beer landscape has finally seduced the brewers of Stone Brewing Company. Dipping their toe into the sour pool yields a dark, malty and savory beer that's dissected by wild yeast for an earhen set of complexities. Additions of cherries suggests that their inspiration reaches into the Flanders region of Belgium.

Their oude bruin lays down a base of brown malt for a toasty, chocolaty, nutty type of savoriness that draws the nose near and catches the eye with dark brown and rusty maroon edges. Its dainty creme-like froth lies just above the dark and tangy scent of cherries. Its taste is supple and sweet with toast, nutella, hints of chocolate, chestnut and hard candy.

As the sweetness drifts and the toasty malt foundation breaks apart, the sourness of the ale and the sidecar of cherries emerge with a piquantly sour middle palate. Red cherries carry a robust bordeau wine charm while the earthy flavors are suggestive of deeply weathered oak with a mossy, soiled, mushroom-like game flavor.

As the ale trails into the earthen sourness of balsamic and damp hay, its medium-like body trends cola-like with hints of chocolate covered cherries (dipped in red wine, of course), lingering in an acidic, medium-length aftertaste.

 

 

Looks enticing and beautiful, with a nice auburn color and artistic lacing that never dies.

Smells of barrel, booze, light tartness and some fruit. Great nose.

The taste follows the nose, with a very balanced mix of sour, barrel and dark-fruit sweetness. Vanilla, toffee, rum, pickle juice... complex and delicious.

Mouthfeel is good for the style, with a nice long finish and a satisfying after-sip feel that stays in the mouth for a while.

Overall, this is an incredible beer that is almost as good as my favorite Russian River sours.