Patrons Project 11.01 Made In The Dark
Northern Monk Brew Co.

 

Overall balanced, this kettle sour shows some acidity and fruitiness even if the rhubarb is hard to distinguish. Funny to try the cocoa butter and sugar cristals they add

 

Northern Monk Brew Co. "Northern Monk Patrons Project 11.01 Rhubarb Sour"
440 ml can, "Best Before: 1/5/2020 Batch Reference: E611813"
8€ @ Johnny's Off License, Via Dei Balestrari 9, Roma, IT

Notes via stream of consciousness: So this is an incredibly interesting beer in terms of packaging, yet the beer itself is not. Firstly there's a double label that peels off to reveal quite a bit of information about the beer. Then, beneath the can there's a sticker that gives the "Best Before" date and conceals a small packet of "Crackle crystals" which are made up of sugar, glucose, cocoa butter, and carbon dioxide - they're a little like "Pop Rocks" candy but vanilla flavored and much less aggressive in their popping. I should have previously noted that this is a collaboration with Lord Whitney - http://lordwhitney.co.uk/ - who suggest "lighting a candle in a darkened room, placing some popping candy on your tongue and taking a sip of "Made in the Dark" to experience a little bit of that Yorkshire magic." There's also some history about rhubarb growing in Leeds, and based on that they've decided to do a rhubarb sour. So, OK, it pours a cloudy pinkish color beneath a short head of white that quickly drops to nothing and leaves very little lacing behind - this is normal for a sour beer, so OK. The aroma suggests acidity, minerality, and some vegetal character but not too much. It's not a great aroma in any way, and I don't find it enticing, but at least it's clean. Moving on, the flavor is better, displaying that same acidity in a moderate way, perhaps what we'd call softly tart as compared to puckeringly sour, and there is a touch of rhubarb flavor that overrides any vegetal character that might be there underneath. Still, I doubt anyone would guess rhubarb had they not been told it was in there. It's a little fruity as well, and the tartness makes the brain imagine that there's more than there is. Minimal bitterness as expected. Dry finish. Overall the vegetal and mineralish components are kept to a minimum and it's quite clean. What it isn't is exciting, and I think that adding the popping candy is really just that, adding popping candy to a fairly boring beer. Is it gimmicky? Absolutely, but in this case let's just call it Dada instead, OK? "Everything in life is art. If I call it art, it’s art; or if I hang it in a museum, it’s art.” - Duchamp, of course. Nonsense and irrationality? Yes. For the betterment of the beer? Yes, in a way, because it makes a show and entertainment of the beer, even a learning experience, and yet the beer itself, that which is consumed through the mouth and then by the body is lackluster - so, no. I'm sure that the brewers will hate to hear that, but who gives a shit (Merdre!), they should have done a better job. And unfortunately I cannot review the beer based on the packaging or art behind it, but only the liquid inside the can. Overall: boring but well made.
Review#6,107