El Prieto Sour Black Ale
Craftsman Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Brownish liquid, almost black. Dark fruit, cherry, fig, plum raisin aromas.

Taste was good, sour respectable, roastiness present but not domineering. Fruits don't come through as much as in the nose. Mouthfeel does leave me wanting more sourness.

This isn't going to make anyone forget about Tart of Darkness anytime soon, but it is a decent 2nd tier sour stout option. Way better than Clutch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at Bruery Provisions

Very dark brown, cola sort of color with a khaki head. Very nice sourness with black cherry, raisin, and plum notes. A hint of lemon and mild balsamic vinegar, too. Only a touch of roasted malt. The tartness is fairly lactic and clean. Not quite as much fruit character as is present on the nose, but still some raisin and black cherry. Mild roast with a subtle sweetness in the background.

Served on-draught into a stem-goblet at Father's Office in Santa Monica, California. Reviewed from notes. I was in the mood for a good sour and expectations were average as this was me first beer from this brewery. Cost was 8 USD; thanks to me friend Alan for the round.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of nice silky cream, good thickness, slight tan colour, and pretty decent retention. Colour is a solid nontransparent black. No yeast particles are visible on account of the opaqueness.

Sm: Bacteria, cream, tart fruit, and sourness. A subtle moderate strength aroma.

T: Nicely sour without going overboard. A clean malt foundation supports the bacteria and wild yeast. Few dark malts are present. Full bodied and enjoyable. Some layering. Complex enough, with some subtlety. Lovely. Balanced well and well built for a sour.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Adequate carbonation. Thick enough. The mouthfeel stays out of the way of the flavours, which is just fine seeing as the flavours are enjoyable.

Dr: Very drinkable for a sour; this won't be puckering any lips anytime soon. I'd easily have it again - ideally at a better price. Very enjoyable. Hides its ABV well.

B

 

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Very dark brown pour with dark ruby edges and a thin brown head. This leaves spots of lace down the glass.

An acidic aroma that also provides elements of roast, coffee, and tart cherries.

The flavor follows the aroma, with acidic sourness and cherries leading the way, with the coffee and roast elements only in the background. There's also a touch of what might be smoke, but it's faint.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

I enjoyed this one a lot.

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ over a month ago, on to the beer:

It looks obsidian in the glass, and leaves a few strings of lace around the glass. The nose is interesting, combining characteristics of a sour and dark ale. There is some tart berry, and also a dose of cocoa. But in the taste, the dark ale aspect is less of a factor, as this is more dominant of the sour part. The taste of blackberry, also suggestions of other tart fruits. In summary, it's tart and tasty fun.

On tap for Churchill's Renaissance at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a clear dark brown with a tan head that settles to an oily film. No lacing on this one. Smell is of sour cherries and other dark fruits with some tart and funky aromas. Taste is pretty much the same but there is an almost ashy flavor that comes out as the beer warms. This beer has a low level of carbonation with a slightly flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good sour beer but nothing really all that special.

 

Very dark. Quite acidic. Also rather bitter with hoppy flavors. Seems to be a soured black IPA, which you might think twice about doing. Some fruit, like fermented bitterish cider apples. Not totally acidic, but close. Malt and hops seem to be missing from the flavor profile. OK, it's a sour, but seems pretty one-dimensional to me.

Nice carbonation on the tongue is perhaps the best feature. Vinegar nose. Fruit vinegar aftertaste with some bitterness. On tap at Local Habit in San Diego 02/15.