Three Stacks
Ellison Brewery & Spirits

 

A - Pours a dark reddish brown with a foamy two finger off white head. Nice amount of sticky lacing.

S - Aroma is boysenberry, blackberry, leather and oak.

T - The taste is boysenberry, blackberry, green apple, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak.

M - Medium body with medium/low carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a bone dry finish.

O - Pretty killer dark sour. The jammy berries and cocoa really work well together. Very tasty.

 

 

Wow. Pours a really dark purple/brown, jammy fruity berry nose, incredible smooth cocoa and vanilla, so luxurious! I can’t believe how well the berry and pastry/chocolate go together, a really enjoyable dark sour.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 1/2019. Pours lightly hazy deep ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger dense and creamy light pink head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy boysenberries, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, cherry, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, bourbon, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, wheat, and biscuit dough; with light notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, cocoa, bourbon vanilla, dark/bready malt, and moderate wine barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy boysenberries, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, cherry, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, bourbon, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, wheat, and biscuit dough; with light notes of peppercorn, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang; and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy boysenberries, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, fruit skin/seed, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, cherry, melon, red/green apple, red grape/wine, toasted oak, bourbon, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, wheat, biscuit dough, light pepper/leather/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, cocoa, bourbon vanilla, dark/bready malt, and moderate wine barrel flavors; with an amazing malt/tartness, and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. No warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this an amazing fruited barrel aged dark sour! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, cocoa, bourbon vanilla, dark/bready malt, and moderate wine barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/drying finish, not overly lactic. Perfectly balanced jammy berries, Brett/Bacteria, cocoa, bourbon vanilla, and dark/bready malt complexity; with great overall wine barrel presence/integration. A highly enjoyable offering, and top tier style example.