St. James' Sour Mash Nitro Stout
Village Idiot Brewing Company

Village Idiot "St. James' Sour Mash Nitro Stout"
On tap at the tasting room on 9 August 2014, unfortunately in a clear plastic cup

The name clearly refers to Guinness, which is brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin. (Guinness, by the way, uses the "s's" in James's Gate). The brewery now uses a small amount of sour beer added into a much larger volume to give the familiar tang that the brand is known for, although they've cut that down over the years. At one time infection had probably completely taken over the brewery, and it would have been quite strong - probably just as strong as the sourness of Village Idiot's version, and theoretically, even more complex in flavor (Brettanomyces, in one form or another, must have been involved). And in that sense, looking at the style from a historical viewpoint, I'd say that this is a must-try beer! The aroma is not off-putting: it's roasty with a suggestion of tartness, but the sourness doesn't really stand out, it's very 'clean' without any harshness to it. The first sip, however, is eye-opening! It's got a healthy note of sourness in it. Beyond that, however, you're almost immediately acclimated, and you'll find that the sour note actually works really well within the dark roastiness. Let's face it, Guinness is not a very well-rounded beer even without the tart note, so adding it back in, in my opinion, actually helps it! The nitrogen pour, which Guinness also 'invented', helps as well, and the boys have followed through with that too. Overall, it's a surprisingly refreshing, interesting, and enjoyable stout!