Wild Cherry Porter
Sockeye Grill & Brewery

a barrel aged, intentionally funky porter with cherries. its a cool beer, easily the most ambitious i have had or seen from these guys so far, light for a porter, reddish hued and brown, no head at all from the tap. a surprising nose, didnt expect the tartness and funk, nothing about the tap handle suggests this is funky, i thought the wild was from the cherries not the yeast! its mouthwatering, kind of puckery and citric in the nose, with the cherry quite piquant and the darker grain giving it a neat cocoa note, not as rich as i thought it would be with the acidity cutting through that, but some enriching and mellowing oak and vanilla notes here, red winey with the cherries. there is a kriek character to the taste here, more funky and wild than anticipated, mature and slightly lambic-esque when i let it be, and the cherries add a cool layer, especially with the darker grain, a great combination but well lighter than any porter should generally be in terms of roast. not sure what kind of barrels they use, with the fruit i think wine, but then i get a whiskey sort of finish to this before the acid ramps up, maybe both, its a cool profile and very complex overall. the beer lacks refinement though, it needs some carbonation, its hazy and still, and the acidity is a little strange. its cool and different, possibly a blend, fun stuff, and cool to see a more experimental side of sockeye...