RUN Sour Stout
Short's Brewing Company

500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 12/2016. Pours opaque pitch black color with a small fairly dense tan head with solid retention, that reduces to a thin ring of lace. Minimal spotty lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange zest, peach, plum, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, red/green apple, currant, raisin, red grape/wine, rye whiskey, toasted oak, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, licorice, molasses, smoke, hay, straw, grass, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of cherries, orange zest, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, rye whiskey/Madeira barrels, and moderate dark/roast/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange zest, peach, plum, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, red/green apple, currant, raisin, red grape/wine, rye whiskey, toasted oak, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, licorice, molasses, smoke, hay, straw, grass, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang; light herbal/zesty/roasted bitterness, and rye whiskey/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange zest, peach, plum, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, red/green apple, currant, raisin, red grape/wine, rye whiskey, toasted oak, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, bread/crust, vanilla, licorice, molasses, smoke, hay, straw, grass, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, orange zest, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, rye whiskey/Madeira barrels, and moderate dark/roast/bready malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/sourness, and tangy fruit balance; with zero puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready/grainy, fairly acidic/tangy/tannic, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 11%, with zero barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, orange zest, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, rye whiskey/Madeira barrels, and moderate dark/roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the huge ABV, with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; not overly lactic. Amazing balance between juicy/jammy cherries, orange zest, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great whiskey/Madeira barrel presence/integration; and a nice dark/roast/bready malt backbone against acidity. Mild residual sweetness with lingering acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing experimental sour style example. This is definitely a sour first, and stout second. Not a ton of roast, but has an insane amount of wild complexity.