Dogpatch Sour
Almanac Beer Co.

 

 

 

Just the right amount of red and sour.

Interesting wild ale with 6/8/20 canned date printed on bottom of can. Interesting slightly rusty honeyed murky color with a little fluffy white head and some spotty lingering lacing. Smells of surprisingly faint tart cherries, raspberries, malt, a little oak and bread. Tastes similarly, fairly tart with a little bit of saltiness at the end. The stronger oak notes also came through clearly. Mild, slightly thin mouthfeel with good carbonation. Not really my style of beer but this one was not bad at all.

 

 

 

Batch no. 4. 2015 vintage; drank 9/6/15 @ Yuss Haus Mach II.

Murky orange rust appearance.

Minimal off-white head; no lace.

Mildly tart dried cherry notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Dried cherry flavor up front; tart finish. Simple & kinda dull, but certainly drinkable.

 

Pours a hazy yellow with bright white but thin 1/5" head on it. Yummy chewy sour cherries in the nose, mild funkiness.

Taste is a bright sour and plenty of cherry, the hazy aspect of the beer, I dunno, but this is pretty smooth while remaining sour and avoid a bitter or acidic acidity through the entire bottle. The cherry is well done. The vanilla version is a nicer even more smooth touch, but if you're looking to get more of that apply cherry sour, this is the one to go with. Has a dryness to it on the backend, but I don't really get anything in the way of wooden notes.

Its a relatively straight forward and simplistic cherry wild ale, but it does the trick and is available.

Batch No 4 | Bottled May 2015

Clear deep amber color with a loose bubbly head. Spicy woody aromas...slight acetone, fragrant cherry, dusty straw. Slick cherry tartness, oaky red wine, lemon juice acidity, spicy dry hay, light graham cracker crust. Sour, acidic, medium-light feel. Pretty good, but aggressively sour.

 

 

 

 

 

This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a slight hazy burnt orange to burnt red color with a one finger white foamy head that quickly dissipated and left no lacing. The smell started off with sour and tart cherries invading some light citrus and a light malty background. The taste was mostly the same as the aroma. Tart and sour cherries roll into sour to bitter citrus rind all rolling about and feeling out the aftertaste with a sly sour and dry feel in the finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation feels good and right at par for the AWA style. Nice bitter harshness pounds on my tongue, but not overbearing. Overall, as an AWA, it works, hmmmm, as a Sour Red/Brown ale, I’d say I guess it works.

While this beer has a pleasant tartness and enjoyable cherry notes, it's ultimately one note. Its a tart, sour cherry beer with no underlying complexities, no body, and little soul. It grows tiresome quickly. Some underlying funk would do this beer wonders. Bes to be paired with food rather than drank alone.

 

 

A 375ml bottle, Batch No.4, bottled in May 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.

Appearance: A clear copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated quickly while leaving sparse lacing.

Aroma: Cherry, hard candy, wine and barrel.

Taste: Tart, sour cherry, red wine, acidic, vinegar and oak.

Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: This was nice and refreshing with good tartness. Would be even better with even more cherries and perhaps slightly less acidity.

 

Pours copper with a ruby hue, with a small soda-pop head that quickly dissipates. Nose is mild wine must and a bit of tannic wood. Not really getting cherry unless I search for it. Also some slight brett. Taste is a straightforward citric sour, with hints of red wine barrel and cherry. Not really getting the complexity I hoped for. Overall, pretty good but was expecting a bit more.

375ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours a deep amber color with a ruby hue, thin creamy off-white head that has good retention

S- dark cherry and vinous red wine aromas, slight barnyard funk, dried hay, earthy wood

T- tart cherries up front with some white wine notes, plenty of tartness at the mid-palate, the finish gives a bit of oak and funk

M- medium body and carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a crisp dry finish

O- strong tartness throughout, but rather one-dimensional at times

 

 

35cl bottle. Clear copper pour with a thin off-white head with poor retention. Notes of cherries, caramel, blue cheese, apple vinegar and tons of macerated cherries. Some vanilla and oak barrel, especially in the aroma. Medium body and carbonation with a very tart and fizzy finish.

I love Almanac’s Farm to Barrel series - and this I was holding off on, but just couldn’t wait any longer now that I have a bottle of Dogpatch Grand Cru in the cellar, going to put this one into my belly.

Appearance: Cherry juice - cloudy, and ruby rose pink, lots of quick fast rising carbonation, quick forming and quick dissipating effervescent pale pink head leaving behind no ring, no cap, and no lace - (like a vindictive ex-girlfriend LOL)

Aromatics: Very acetic sour cherries and gentle farmhouse funk. A sweet semi-dry hay likes to mosey its way in along with some underlying newly risen bread and hints of wine vinegar.

Taste: Pa-Pow! Much like it’s Blueberry sibling, it packs an awesome sour punch. Full of cherries, juicy, and acidic. There is a light bready quality, and the vinous flavours are nicely melded to the fruit.

Palate: Acid and slightly worn fuzzy socks waterslide by the palate and the carbonation playing tiny fizz games in this medium body. There is an every so mild boozy kick at the tail end if you pack too much into the mouth. And the finish is tangy but still clean, and dry.

Overall: Super great. I’m almost thinking the Blueberry had one up’d it though - but so close. It has glamour and attitude that I enjoy a lot in a sour.

Pairing: Same as the other Farm to Barrels - best with a large full (and preferably holiday) type meal. Bring on the turkeys, hams, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy… lots of gravy.

 

Bottled May 2015.

Crystal clear, copper-red, no head.

Lots of sour cherry in the aroma, with a bit of funk.

Fairly sour with some earthy funk. Definitely some bacterial action here.

Moderate body has a moderate acidity, with a drying finish.