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Truthful Statement
Almanac Beer Co.
- From:
- Almanac Beer Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Wild Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.1 | pDev: 9.02%
- Reviews:
- 35
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 25, 2020
- Added:
- Oct 31, 2015
- Wants:
- 9
- Gots:
- 32
This dark sour ale was inspired by classic Old Fashioned cocktails. We fermented a velvety imperial stout with our house sour culture, then aged it in Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels alongside sweet Bing cherries and freshly zested oranges to create a rich, tart stout that’s perfect for sipping on cold winter nights.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Dope:
Rated by Dope from Massachusetts
4.15/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Jul 04, 2016
4.15/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Jul 04, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado
3.79/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
January 24th, 2016 - Here's an odd bird. It looks soft and velvety like Guinness (or any nitro stout), but tastes like raisin and fig, more like a barleywine, But the front taste is sour and even a little tangy, and the aftertaste is almost absent. Good, but a tad strange.
Mar 25, 2020Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.38/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.38/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
375 ml bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled 12/2015, had 7/3/17.
Pours near black with a two inch plus foamy head on an aggressive pour, a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of malt, cherries, dates, oak, bourbon, raisins, light yeast, some wine, a light sourness. The taste is cherries, malt, bourbon, oak, dates, light wine and vanilla, a light citrus flavor, some sourness. Smooth, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
Lots of flavor and aroma, the barrels are subtle but effective. Don’t pick up the orange zest, but the cherries come through nicely. Not overly sour, possibly due to the age. Thought this was pretty awesome.
Feb 18, 2018Pours near black with a two inch plus foamy head on an aggressive pour, a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of malt, cherries, dates, oak, bourbon, raisins, light yeast, some wine, a light sourness. The taste is cherries, malt, bourbon, oak, dates, light wine and vanilla, a light citrus flavor, some sourness. Smooth, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
Lots of flavor and aroma, the barrels are subtle but effective. Don’t pick up the orange zest, but the cherries come through nicely. Not overly sour, possibly due to the age. Thought this was pretty awesome.
Reviewed by DavidR_9 from California
4.29/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Beautiful looking beer. Smells of that intense astringent sour/wild aroma that almanac is know for. First sip is chocolate with a touch of oak, earthy hops and slight roasty bitterness, followed by a nice sweet fruitiness from the oranges, and ends with a lingering intense sour lemon warhead astringency mixed with sour cherries. Tartness lingers for a long time but each new sip gives you a kick of that nice roasty stout with the touch of bourbon heat. Very complex brew and well done. Not ky favorite kind of sour but I’d buy it again.
Jan 18, 2018Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
4/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a thick black color with a slim finger-ed white foamy head that dissipated nicely. Lacing is speckled. The smell takes on sour cherries sliding into subtle dark chocolate malts and creating a nice tart citrus to semi-sweet cocoa background. The taste took those flavors and combined to bring about a nice dry woody flavor riding underneath. No aftertaste but a nice dry to tart finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body. Sessionability to sipping quality runs nice over the body. Not as harsh as expected from some other "sour" ales I’ve had. Overall, Almanac pretty much knocked this one out of the park as far as a sour stout.
Jun 20, 2017Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
3.95/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a deep pitch-black color stout with a light brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of light tart notes with some dry roasted malt notes and nice bourbon and vanilla notes. Taste is also a nice mix of tart notes with some dry roasted malt notes with vanilla and bourbon with light oak notes. Chocolates notes are also noticeable. Body has a nice creamy texture with good carbonation. I think this could have been a top imperial stout without the tart notes.
Dec 31, 2016
Truthful Statement from Almanac Beer Co.
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
146 ratings
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