Phantasma XXX Sour
OEC Brewing (Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores)

 

This is iteration 9 of this beer. It pours cola color with reddish hues, close to but not really black. Bottle conditioned, yet almost flat, no head at all. It looks fine as a headless "porter" but certainly doesn't reflect what the brewer states.

Alrighty then... The smell at fridge temperature is non-descript. As it warms, it delivers a very nice red wine aroma. But there is also a porter-like component of toasty malt. Vinegar that I think seems balsamic. Cherry, figs, prune-like. As if that isn't enough, oaky and slight sweet molasses or brown sugar.

The taste...whoa...ok not sure what is happening here, but I like it. Porter gone wild? Certainly a porter and the roast malt give it that brown bread foundation for everything else to play from. Tart cherry, red wine character, a very clear oak woody note, initially seemed quite acidic. The dark fruit component tastes more of dates. Molasses certainly in there, I will stick with mild balsamic vinegar, and a hint of tobacco. This all morphs around - the flavors play off each other and the presentation changes with successive sips. It's almost...playful? The tart aspect fades in and out, and some sips are very much porter first, others more tart initially, or even sweet and fruity. Definite porter aftertaste of roasted malt stays pretty consistent. A little bit of brown sugar/ molasses stickiness. Eventually there is a mild spice sensation building and by Grabthar's Hammer it's licorice. Very subtle, but definite.

It's medium bodied at best. Not much carbonation. No bitter sensation to speak about. Slightly dry. Acidity certainly present but at a fairly mild level. I have no idea where the claimed 9.5% ABV is hiding- nothing on the nose nor in the taste indicates 9.5.

Odd but intriguing beer that I am enjoying quite a lot as it dances around the taste buds - the complexity is there, yet it's somehow pretty easy to drink. I think I have to go style-blind on this one. I'm not sure it is a "wild ale" as called here. I think it is certainly a porter singing Motley Crue.

 

Bottled 9/22/21, blend #10

So, a sour Porter? That sounds like an odd combination, but I’m fairly certain that traditional English Porters were a bit tart so I guess this is just an evolution of that? I don’t know, I have a lot of questions, but I trust OEC to make some killer beer so I’ll just sit back and enjoy it. Let’s get into it

Pours a dark brown with 2 fingers of tan head that quickly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The Porter character is definitely present in the nose, but it’s more of a wild vibe. I’m picking up on aromas of dark cherry, red wine vinegar, old leather, prune, brown bread, chocolate malt, toasted oak, and molasses

It’s certainly more Porter-esque in taste, and I’m still really digging the complexity. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart black cherry, roasted malt, brown bread, lemon juice, sharp oak, and light raisin. The swallow brings notes of roasted malt, molasses, brown bread, tart black cherry, toffee, old leather, and light vinegar

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a beer that’s both fizzy and a bit thick. Finishes slightly sticky and leaves a bit of film behind but nothing that keeps it from being drinkable

This is unquestionably a weird beer, but executed quite nicely. Almost like a Flanders Red meets Porter. Good stuff

 

 

Dark sours are unusual to say the least, and this offering doesn't disappoint. It is quite sour and and medium acidity. Plums, toffee, dark fruits come out, but the sourness stifles some of the taste. Overall it's a great representation of the style, though it's not for everyone.

 

 

 

Had on tap. Was a little wary with the whole "porter-sour" combo, but this did a fantastic job of being true to the porter backbone flavor and feel, while adding waves of oak and fruity sour flavors. Plum, raisin, cherry, oak, licorice, grapes, grains and malts all are present and it blend together to make a full feeling sour.