Wild Cherry Porter
Pub Dog Brewing

 

Badly overcarbonated, but as it warmed got substantially better. Still, all the pleasant tart cherry & roasted qualities were overshadowed by a very unpleasant astringent finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Of Love and Regret, where I learned that Brian brewed this beer at DOG.

Appearance: Arrives with a perky tan head sitting atop the chocolate brown liquid; splashy lace is left behind

Smell: Brown bread, chocolate and cherry, with a vinous overtone

Taste: Pinot Noir grapes, cherry yogurt, out front, with chocolate and brown bread appearing underneath; lactic sourness appears, after the swallow, with a rather vinous finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: While I would prefer a deeper flavor underneath, this was still a really good beverage

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with just a bit of light coming through. There is a two to three finger tan head with large bubbles that says around for a bit. Some lacing on the glass.

Smell: A bit mild, but I was surprised how tart this one smells. Some vinegar and cherry with a mild funk. There is a slight oak hint as well.

Taste: Tart cherry with some roast and dark chocolate notes. This is a lot more sour than I expected. Fruity vinegar tartness. The finish is a bit weak, but still quite good.

Mouthfeel: The only negative I'm seeing here. A bit thin and the carbonation is really high with huge bubbles. The finish is quite dry.

Overall: This was an extremely pleasant surprise. I picked it up to support them trying new things, and was blown away. I would definitely have another.

A - just looked like your average porter - no head whatsoever

S - no distince smell even though it was suppose to be cherry flavor

T - at first, sour tasting but after a moment, it mellowed

M - besides the sour cherry flavor, not much. The flavor died within seconds of tasting.

Thought, whilw drinking, that this would be good reduced & served over beef or pork.

 

 

Picked up while visiting my friend in Baltimore.

Pours a crazy fizzy head that forces me to pour slowly, but it fades so quickly I don't have to stop pouring, with pot-marks of lacing, over very dark ruby molasses brown color. As I let it sit the head starts to rise up like a firework snake, a big foam tumor almost.

Nose... whoa, some funk and sour cherry galore, juicy tart cherries, some jar cherry, an infection like wild funk aroma that is probably on purpose, a bit of a vinous like earthy wine aroma. When i finally get past the funk and sour cherry, I get a slight chocolate roasty porter, but barely.

Taste starts really weird as well, a tart cherry, Balaton cherry like flavor, but a lot like unsweetened maraschino cherry juice, with a bit of a tart almost sour flavor. Then more infection like funk, some really horseblanket funk, which doesn't seem like Brett but an interesting infection like flavor. I also do get more of the vinous like earthy wine flavor but not a lot, almost grape skin like. Also some light porter flavors, very little of it left, with hint of dark malts and roast, but mostly just the sour cherry and funk now. Finishes dry and sticky, almost syrupy but not quite, a bit flemmy though from the funk, lingering tart cherry juice and a bit of a powdered porter taste.

Mouth is med bodied, tooons of carbonation infection level.

Overall a definite interesting beer, nice tart cherry flavors and juice, light sweetness with bit dry finish, tons of funk and infection taste that isn't bad, just weird, almost not sure if it was planned since they did use sour cherry juice and barrel age it. If they didn't plan the infection not sure what they thought would happen, but either way its interesting.

The label on the 500 mL bottle reads: "Porter brewed with Sour Cherry Juice and aged in Oak Wine Barrels."

A: Body is a warm brown with a tint of red. The billowing, beige head is four fingers high for several minutes before receding, leaving very good lacing.

S: Smells like an Oud Bruin to me. Lots of vinous and cherry notes as well as a strong mustiness. Every once and awhile I also get a whiff of flowers, not unlike that of perfume.

T: Starts off with the cherries and a bit of sweetness which is then swallowed up by the must, tartness, and red wine. Finish is dry and not very strong.

M: I didn't particularly notice until I decided to rate this beer, and in my book that's good. Soft carbonation keeps the flavors alive but doesn't mask them either.

O: This was rather good. Though rather different than what we now think of as a porter, this beer hearkens back to a time when porters used to be a bit on the sour side. Right now the vinous notes and mustiness are a bit too strong, but I think with some time the beer will balance out and be even better. Now I just need to find a few bottles to age!