The Sour Bridgeporter
Marz Community Brewing

 

Appearance: Pours a clear cola color with a big beige head that settles in at two fingers; splashy lacing

Smell: The toasted bread and chocolate tones underpin the sour fruit; the tart elderberry and blackberry dominate

Taste: There are two distinct layers of flavor here, with both arriving at the same time but failing to coalesce; there is the toasted wheat bread and a touch of chocolate on one end and the tart fruit elements, at the other; ultimately, the tart fruit moves into vinegar territory

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: An interesting idea but ultimately unsuccessful; I have had sour porters before (and, in fact, I recall the sour porter being an historical style (see New Glarus Old English Porter) but this one didn't cut it for me

Perhaps a new way to look at a Flemish styled Brown Ale, as Marz Brewing inoculates its Porter with souring agents, it brings the fruits of elderberry and blackberries to life.

Dark crimson and brown, The Sour Bridgeporter carries an ominous maroon translucence with a rich tarnish froth. As the aromas open up, a tanginess of burgundy wine, dark berries, cider, toast and cocoa resonate with the nose. Steely caramel sweetness comes with the deeply toasted character of pecan, bread crust, coffee and cocoa with the malt-centric first sip.

But then the sourness strikes the middle palate and relegates any malt sweetness to a supporting role. A strong balsamic character dominates the flavor spread, introducing a savory, umami rich taste that balances nicely with the elderberry and blackberry with nuances of black cherry, blackcurrant and cranberry mingling about the tastebuds. Strongly of cider, the late taste turns dry, peppery and with a stern yeast spice to accentuate the sharply acidic finish.

Medium bodied and trending dry, the sourness breaks up the malt and washes away the thirst with ease. A medium length aftertaste of sour cherries die off just before an extension of toast and coffee to finish the session boldly. Its a beer perfectly suited for grilled pork chops and hearty sautéed greens.

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a dark, mahogany brown color and a thick consistency. There was a thin, off white, foamy head that quickly dissipated. Pretty good lacing.

S: A solid, if kind of strange, aroma of berries, malt, chocolate, and a vinous quality.

T: Tasted of a moderate amount of roasted malt, a smattering of chocolate notes, the aforementioned vinous quality, blackberries, elderberries, and some light yeast. The flavor kind of seems like a cross between a porter and a wild ale. It's odd at first, but it grows on you. Very tart and bracing, but still very tasty.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a lively finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This one's kind of an odd duck, but I like it nonetheless. Certainly worth a look if you like offbeat beers.

 

750 ml bottle, Batch #296 handwritten on the bottle. No dating that I could find. Served in a chalice, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that fizzled away quickly. Not much head retention. Aroma is mostly fruity, the brew smells like blackberries, elderberries, tart dark berries, roasted malt, and some red wine. Taste is similar to the aroma, with blackberry, elderberry, tart berries, roasted malt, red grapes and some chocolate. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. It's really easy to drink. If you like sour fruity brews, then this is definitely worth picking up! I liked the regular Bridgeporter, and the sour version is pretty good too. With that being said, it's more tart/sour/berry tasting than it is a traditional porter but that's fine with me. I'd like to try this again.

Gave an aggressive pour into a tulip.

Appearance - Good 1 finger mocha head that settles into lacing after a few minutes. Good carbonation. Dark garnet brown color.

Aroma - Mostly roast and caramel. A little bit of tart aroma. Some berry and red wine as it warms.

Taste - I was honestly was not prepared for this, though more in a surprise sort of way and not in a bad sort of way. It was very tart. The acidity is at the forefront of this beer, and kind of over powers everything else. The fruit or berry is in the background and emerges from the sourness. I can't really pick out the distinct blackberry or elderberry, just a sour fruitiness. There is a quick hit of roast followed by sour, and then sort of a background jammy fruit that lingers. It's pretty interesting and gets more balanced as it warms a bit. Some wine notes begin to appear after a while, almost balsamic type notes.

Mouthfeel - There's a lasting sourness, but pretty good. Decent mouthfeel. The beer isn't overly thin or astringent. The fruity tartness lingers.

Overall - This is pretty good. I grew to like it more as it warmed or sat open. I think the elderberry sort of combines with the sour porter character to kind of overwhelm the beer at first. As it progresses the flavors become more distinct. I still suggesting getting a friend or two to share this one though. It's pretty tasty, but it's definitely a sipper.