Tart Of Darkness - Raspberry And Cacao
The Bruery Terreux

A:  Poured into a Duvel tulip to a black beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky finger of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S:  Smells of lots of raspberries and chocolate on the nose with some underlying sourness along with some roasty notes
T:  Taste is sourness up front with some raspberries and bitter dark chocolate notes.  There's also some roastiness and oak with some sour cherries and a hint of vanilla.  On the swallow there's more juicy sour raspberries and chocolate with some lingering roasted notes
M:  This beer has a body which is on the lighter side of medium with a smooth feel on the palate.  Carbonation is slightly effervescent while the beer has a drying finish due to the acidity.
O:  Overall this is a pretty nice beer. It has good flavors and a nice amount of complexity which make it an interesting beer to drink. It does lean a little heavy on the acidity but that's somewhat normal for this beer. It's still fairly balanced though.

Alright so I'm prolly the biggest Tart of Darkness fan in the world. But I'm also a fan of consistency and tradition, so how was this new variant received?

Pours dark brown/black. Thin brown head 1/5". The aroma is noticeably different. Dry cocoa powder and raspberries, quite different from the usual sour cherry cola notes. Enjoyable, just different, significantly.

Taste still has that familiar Tart of Darkness base stout cherry cola aspect, but now there is a much bigger chocolate/cocoa presence. This might actually be the driest mouth feel Tart of Darkness there is (already a very dry beer) with the cocoa and raspberry dry ass tag team giving you that Road Warriors clothesline off the top rope. As usual, its hella sour, right around an 8 on the 10pt scale. The cocoa and vanilla definitely tempers the base acidity (which I love but realize aint for errrrryone). Its a slight juxtaposition, vanilla and dryness, but it works wonderfully here. Not as good as cherry and vanilla, but better than rum barrel ToD.

 

 

Split with JLindros. 2017 vintage.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice hazy dark brown hue with a thin mocha head that fades to leave light wisps.

S - Big aromas of super acidic vinegar, light raspberries, decent amount of cocoa powder.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with loads of slightly sweet but definitely tart vinegar. Big red berry notes followed by pleasant cocoa powder.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, little crisp and flemmy.

O - Overall this was a solid enough tart beer. There was loads of red berries and dark chocolate. Pleasant but overly tart.

Serving Type: bottle

Spilt with rudzud, 2017
Dark foamy fluffy smaller head with low retention, but some decent lacing, dark mahogany brown color with good legs

Nose brings plenty of cocoa and raspberry, dark chocolate raspberry candy and some sour brown malt, acetic acid, fair acidity in general, quite vinegary

Taste super sour, big acetic acid and malt vinegar, and fruit vinegar, light cocoa powder and chocolate covered candy raspberry, light berry in general, more milk chocolate, little coffee grinds and dark roast, finishes a touch drier with a bit flemmy acidity

Mouth is med to fuller bod, big acidity add flemmy vinegar, medium carb

Overall not bad, too vinegary but some nice chocolate, raspberry was ok but not much, but so acidic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours black with a mocha colored head, no retention nor lacing, slight stream of tiny bubbles up the glass's side, looks thin.

A: The cacao nibs come through pretty strong, dark fruits like plums, figs, dates, dark red grapes and red wine, touch of tart raspberries, hint of sour, tart, funk notes as well, there's some oakiness at the end as well.

T: Touch of dark fruit notes like plums, figs, dates, red grapes and red wine, then there's a big hit of cacao, berry tartness in the middle and more cacao in the finish, some vanilla as well, finish is very sour with dark fruit notes and the oak is slight present throughout the flavor, it's a great balance of cacao, dark fruits, sourness, and oak.

M: For a sour "stout" it's thin, mouthfeel is very dry like drinking red wine or eating red grapes.

O: I love regular Tart of Darkness and the addition of cacao nibs just adds another level of complexity, flavor, and depth, definitely going to pick up another bottle for the cellar and see how this ages.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 3/21/2017. Pours nearly opaque dark brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart/sour raspberry, cherry, cranberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, toasted oak, and dark bread; with light notes of coffee, smoke, leather, musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, raspberries, cocoa, vanilla, and oak barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge tart/sour raspberry, cherry, cranberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, toasted oak, and dark bread; with light notes of coffee, smoke, leather, musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/roasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness; with light yeast/oak spiciness and roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour raspberry, cherry, cranberry, lemon, green apple, plum, red grape, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, toasted oak, dark bread, leather, funk, red wine vinegar, yeast/oak/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, raspberries, cocoa, vanilla, and oak barrel flavors; with a great malt/tart/sourness balance. Increasingly puckering, but not overwhelming or astringent on sourness. Moderate dryness from tart/sourness, increasing though the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately acidic/bready/grainy, and lightly chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7.1%. Overall this is an incredible fruited sour stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, roast/bready malt, raspberries, cocoa, vanilla, and oak barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink, even with the increasingly sour/lactic/drying finish. Pretty much perfectly balanced between sour ale, stout, and fruit/spice flavors; with great oak presence. Very well rounded Brett and Lacto complexity. A highly enjoyable offering.