Sour Devil - Blue Mountain Brewery

macrosmatic

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes. Poured from corked & caged bomber into a CCB pint glass.

A: Quite dark, almost black, and opaque. 1.5 finger's worth of light tan head, and no visible carbonation.

S: Acetic, vinegary, dark fruity (cherries? grapes?), sour, and a bit funky.

T: Initial hit of cherry and grape fruitiness, then some chocolate malts and oaky vanilla. Then, rather than a big wallop of acetic flavor that I expected from the nose, it fades into almost nothing but a vague sweet malt aftertaste. Definitely unexpected, and interesting.

M: A thin body given the listed style, low alcohol, and low to medium carbonation sensation.

O: Nothing I'd seek out, but it's an easy drink. To me, it's another interesting-sounding crossover style that just falls short of really working. Seems to be a vinegary-chocolatey-sour-porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 21:03:26 | More by macrosmatic

mdfb79

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-20-2013 13:37:06 | More by mdfb79

Zraly

Virginia

3.71/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.75

750 ml bottle, best by May 2013.

Pours a dark black with a thin off-white head. Not quite opaque, but close enough to nod along with the stout categorization. Smells roasty and funky.

Where to start? This is one weird beer. The first sip is difficult. And I don't mean that it is heavy or the alcohol knocks you over -- the first sip is as if someone just dumped vinegar in your chocolate milk. Not exactly what you expected to wash down your chocolate chip cookie, eh?

With the next few sips, the melody of the odd flavors gels together a bit more, and the transition from chocolate malts to lactic acid becomes more or less seamless. The funky tang actually lightens the heavy-loaded front end, and you find yourself liking the beer more and more (or don't). Interesting citric notes, notably lemon, create a tart astringency on the palate.

Medium-bodied and an evil 10% alcohol makes this extremely dangerous if you are into the weirdness of it all. Sit down and stand up slow.

Maybe this pairs well with some mystery mushrooms you found in the forest. Maybe this pairs well with your cigarette post-coitus. Maybe this doesn't pair with anything as you longingly stare out the window as you pour this down the drain. I can't begin to fathom what you might want to pair this with -- my best guess is cheesecake or a lemon curd dessert for myself.

At the very least, I can say Blue Mountain has one big vagina for putting this in bottles and convincing us (me?) to buy it blindly.

I felt awkward rating this beer and sort of wish I didn't bother. This is one of those rare instances in which I both love and hate a beer. This beer asked a bit too much of me. It's complex. And I guess on that note, I have to say it challenged me in a way that most beers don't. So for that, it is something to be admired and feared.

Revision/edit: Very interesting taste but the feel and delivery on the palate is over the top in a not-so-good way.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:32:48 | More by Zraly

jbaker67

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

05-12-2013 04:02:30 | More by jbaker67

pcarney8

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.6%

05-07-2013 14:54:46 | More by pcarney8

st9647v3

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

05-03-2013 03:41:14 | More by st9647v3

2dogbrew

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

05-02-2013 21:15:51 | More by 2dogbrew

JSkone09

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -24.7%

04-28-2013 20:34:51 | More by JSkone09

Googs

New York

4/5  rDev +9.6%

04-27-2013 15:11:06 | More by Googs

whatname

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

04-26-2013 00:24:04 | More by whatname

UCLABrewN84

California

3.39/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Thanks to John11486 for sharing this one at Wowcoolman's tasting.

Best by 5/2013.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with dark roasted malt and cocoa aromas. Taste is much the same with a sour cocoa flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of roasty bitterness and acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer but the sourness in this one isn't working all that well with the roasty presence.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:14:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

04-14-2013 16:11:44 | More by ShanePB

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

04-06-2013 21:37:03 | More by randylangford

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

04-06-2013 17:22:51 | More by ShemRahBoo

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-31-2013 04:51:47 | More by Gonzoillini

BAsbill

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-30-2013 08:10:02 | More by BAsbill

imperiallibations

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-20-2013 20:35:13 | More by imperiallibations

jlindsey

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-17-2013 03:36:28 | More by jlindsey

mendvicdog

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

03-14-2013 19:25:18 | More by mendvicdog

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3/5  rDev -17.8%

03-13-2013 16:45:28 | More by Beerontwowheels

duceswild

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -11%

03-13-2013 14:41:19 | More by duceswild

bum732

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -11%

03-13-2013 02:14:53 | More by bum732

oline73

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

03-13-2013 02:13:06 | More by oline73

brentk56

North Carolina

4.66/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Pours a translucent dark brown with auburn highlights; three fingers of foam sit on top of the liquid, sheeting the glass with lace

Smell: Sour dark fruit, with undertones of charred black bread

Taste: Opens with lactic sour flavors of prune and raisin with sweet chocolate and charred black bread adding depth, in the middle; after the swallow, the sour flavors raise the bar though the finish brings back some of the sweetness from the chocolate

Mouthfeel: Medium body with airy, though moderate carbonation; has a great Belgian stout mouthfeel

Overall: This beer really grew on me as I have had mixed experiences with dark sours; in this case, the flavors blend rather than clash and the sweet chocolate underneath provides a nice offset to the sour dark fruit flavors

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 00:58:17 | More by brentk56

WDJersey

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9.6%

03-10-2013 04:41:44 | More by WDJersey