Obsessive Compulsive Vampire Sour Blackberry Stout
The BottleHouse Brewing Company

 

On tap at the Lakewood taphouse. First of all the look is amazing. I have never seen anything that looked like this. It was dark but with a bit of purple in it. It almost had a milky opacity to it. Very interesting beer in appearance. But beer isn't for looking and that is OK with this one because it has the rest too. The smell was strong. Tart blackberry and cherry aromas were very prevalent. The taste pretty much matched the aroma perfectly. The only reason for not rating it higher is that I am just not that into the tart punch that comes with a sour like this. The feel was very smooth and thick. It went down rather well.

Finally, I am just not much of a sour beer fan. I have had several from Bottlehouse over the years but have never been won to the style. This beer may have changed that for me. There are still elements of sour beers that I do not find to my liking that send me reaching for other options most of the time. But this one is a game changer. I will definitely reach for this in the future.

 

Dull purple-ish-black with a creamy pinkish-tan collar leaving camo lace.

Smell is toasty char and seeds with sharp accents of blackberry, cherry and apple.

Taste exhibits a really nice balance between fruit--sour blackberry and dark grape--and roast, via nutty chocolate with accents of charred oak.

The medium body has a nice crisp carbonation and a semi-dry tingle.