Bruery Terreux Hoarders Cuvee (2018)
The Bruery Terreux

Review: 2245
Name: Hoarder Cuvee 2018
Brewery: Bruery Terreux
Location: Placentia, CA
Style: Sour Stout
A.B.V.: 7.9%
Canned: 2018
Date: 08 Nov 2024
I thought I would try something a bit older, a sour stout from Terreux. Using a tulip glass I served the beer at 44 degrees. The pour created a frothy, airy, one-fingered, light tan head with okay retention. The quick dissipation left not lacing on the glass. The color is dark brown with dark mahogany hues, and somewhat opaque. The appearance of the beer is average, I would have liked to seen a longer lasting head.
Nosing the glass I smell chocolate, acidic acid, vanilla, oak, berries, and some funkiness. Swirling the glass, and smelling again, I notice caramel, figs, light char, molasses, coffee, and earthy. Other aroma I detect is a vinous/portlike character.
The flavors start with a vinous/portlike, molasses, char, oak, vanilla, and chocolate. Sipping the beverage several more time, I detect acidic acid, earthiness, funkiness, caramel, light toasted malts, and a subtle sweetness.
The mouthfeel is tannic and tart finishing dry. The body is medium and has medium carbonation.
I am slightly confused by this beer, the base beer says it is a stout but I am not picking that up. I did notice stout characters, but the beer presents more of a wild ale with dark roasted malts and adjuncts. I did not find the beer to have a vinegar quality but more of a sour ale with acidic acid. The blueberries faded into oblivion and the vanilla is faint on the taste. I could smell berries, but was not able to identify the exact one. This was a good experience but not up to Bruery standards.

Consumed 11-12-23

A soap bubble-looking initial head that quickly retreated to edges. Dark brown body that is opaque.

Vinous nose and flavor. Not a stout or barleywine. Solidly sour and vinegar flavor. Something sweet way in the background. Neither malt nor hop character present.

Medium to thin body with light mouth covering, a light tingly mouthfeel.

Consumed in November 2018.

Pours that dark brown black color. Beige head, 1/3" deep. Aroma is like a pastry and fruited version tart of darkness. Plenty of vanilla and chocolate coming out of the top of this one. While blueberries are tough to pin down aroma wise, there is the berry like influence which is more than most.

Taste is plenty sweet to the point of substantially cutting the sourness similar to how those fruited lambic will. Continues with the chocolate and vanilla both in taste and the smoothed out mouth feel. Barrel notes not coming through. Does stay sweet and berrylicious. Slightly below average carbonation level. Vanilla quotient comes off as also caramel like notes. For something at 8% there was no sign of alcohol in the mouth feel. Same for acidity, just didn't pick it up.

I have at least one more of these in the cellar. Will revisit this review someday in the future. Doesn't hold a candle to OG Tart of Darkness, but I still enjoyed this, its tough to live up to ToD.

Received from @2beerdogs in NBS BIF 10 – Thanks Derek! Reviewed 12/22/19.
No date other than “2018 Edition”. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Brown, clear.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to direct light, translucent at the top.
Head – Average (Maximum 3.5 cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, medium density, short retention, diminishing to a two mm crown and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 - An odd blend of cocoa, blueberries, and vinegar, although the vinegar rapidly weakens after the pour, making the final aroma less disturbing.
Flavor – 3.5 - Lactic acid predominates, with transitory hints of propionic as well. None of the additives (Blueberries or cacao (from the nose) or vanilla or oak barrels (from the label)) survive the souring process. No alcohol (7.9 % ABV as stated on label) flavor or aroma, although a weak transitory gastric warming occurs. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide, no malt, no hops.
Palate – 3.5 - Full, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.5. This is distinctly a soured brew in which the added wheat wine and the base stout are evident only in the fullness of the palate.

 

 

Fridge temp poured into a tulip

Dark cola color, brief finger of loose tan color head that fizzed away immediately. Not many bubbles

Aroma is muted and faint, light acetic notes, some oak, not much there when cold. Smells more vinegary as it warms.

Taste is acetic balsamic, medium roasted coffee, dark raisins, sour cherries and blueberries.

Very little carbonation, bordering on still, light body

It's only ok, certainly not to the level of calling it a cuvee though.

 

Gold wax capped 375mL bottle acquired through The Bruery’s Society. 2018 release. Served in a Bruery teku. Enjoyed 1/17/19.

Pours a deep almost burgundy-highlighted dark brown. It is dark enough and fully opaque as to render it black sitting in the glass. The tall cap of milky khaki froth settles to a few small islands and a narrow collar, leaving only a couple scattered dots of lacing.

Smells sweet and sour. Caramel, vanilla, tangy berries, chocolate and funky wet spirit barrel.

A sour punch of dark chocolate covered sour blueberries nearly dominates the flavor. Tart stone fruit, earthy barrel, Greek yogurt and some vague vanilla-tinged bourbon.

Dry, almost chalky full body with restrained carbonation. Aftertaste is earthy and semi tart with notes of cocoa, berries and wet earthy wood.

The Bruery’s faithful have come up with another interesting combination for the 2018 Terruex Hoarders Cuvée. As I’m not a big fan of Tart of Darkness, this blend is pretty good but isn’t something that I can get too excited over. The addition of a stronger, sweeter barrel aged brew and the adjuncts at least made this iteration of ToD something that I can palate.

 

375ml bottle poured

A- pours deep brown color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that leaves some lacing behind

S- tart blueberries, spicy oak, chocolate, hint of vanilla, a bit peppery

T- chocolate blueberries up front, followed by a bit hit of fruity tartness. The finish gives more chocolate and berries

M- medium body with moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish

O a bit all over the place, all of the elements are there but don't seem to blend well

A: Poured into a tulip to a black beer topped by a dense two finger light tan head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of oak and chocolate, blueberries, and vanilla
T: Taste is nice chocolate with some serious underlying sourness. Smooth vanilla comes in with some nice hints of blueberries. Slight leather as well but really nice complexity on this beer. On the swallow me get some nice oak, blueberries and chocolate with a hint of coffee and some nice lingering vanilla.
M: This beer is fairly full in body with carbonation that is effervescent but not excessive while the beer has a drying finish from the acidity.
O: Overall this one is pretty good. The blueberries are nice and subtle while all the other flavors complement everything else going on pretty well. The vanilla on this one is really nice. Definitely worth a try if you can get your hands on it.