Funk Metal Sour Barrel-Aged Stout - Jester King Craft Brewery

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.41/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter at cellar temperature.

L – Black color with a 1.5-finger frothy, rocky, brown head. Really nice retention and some awesome sheets of lacing. Pours thick and viscous like motor oil. Looks fantastic for an imperial stout.

S – This is where it gets interesting. It has some of the usual stout aromas of chocolate, dark fruits, and roasted malt but it also has a distinct aroma consisting of sour cherries and grapes. The smell is very pleasant as the tart aromas pair very well with the dark fruits and chocolate.

T – It starts off sour with cherries, grapes, and apples. As the tartness fades, the usual stout taste shows up with sweet chocolate and some vanilla, as well as bitter roasted malts. This is very unique and very, very tasty.

F – Medium-to-full-bodied with good carbonation, a tart and mouth-coating feel, and a slightly bitter, sour, and extremely dry finish. Dry bittersweet roasted chocolaty malt lingers for a bit. There isn’t a warmth from the alcohol per se, but the tart acidity lends a bit of a warming character.

O – This beer is fantastically different from anything that I’ve ever had before. It has elements of a good stout but also has great sour aromas and flavors. I never would have thought that a sour stout would be good, but Jester King has proven me very, very wrong. This is a delicious beer and one that I’m extremely glad that I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 07:00:08 | More by BlackBelt5112203

merc7186

New York

3.99/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes Almost Light, Brown Hue, Mild Lacing

S: Hay, Apricots, Mild Chocolate

T: Apricots, Hay, Mild Chocolate

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sour

Overall, a nice sour beer..but as a sour stout it missed basically.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:29:23 | More by merc7186

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared with my doppelganger on his wedding day prior to getting ready for the festivities! Served from bottle into a New Belgium globe. Poured black with a one finger brown head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was compromised of sweet malt, roasted malt, fruit, earth, sour, funk, and wood. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, sour, tart, funk, roasted malt, and wood. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. The tart and sour twist on this one was actually quite nice on the base brew. This made it quite drinkable and enjoyable throughout the glass. Wish this were readily available in my area so I could crush this daily! Definitely worth your time!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 15:31:44 | More by thagr81us

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Shared with friends for the bruins game. Poured into a tulip.

A - Poured a nice dark black hue with a quarter inch head that fades to leave a thin halo.

S - Aromas of sour almost cherries and chocolate with nice roast malts. Not too bad at all.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with lots of nice sour funk and light fruit with good faint stout notes. Very well done and a good balance of both sour and roast.

M - Mouthfeel is very nice with a good amount pf carbonation for the style.

O - Overall this was a good beer with nice cross platform. Aspects. Solid and drinkable glad I shared it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:53:45 | More by rudzud

wogreen

Arkansas

4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pours like a thick chocolate milk shake; very dark with a dark brown head

S - no major hints of the barrel like i expected also not too vinegary like some sours can be

T - the warm flavors from the barrel aging are very subtle and dont overpower the sour flavor

M - thick, rich and drinkable

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:46:06 | More by wogreen

BigBarley

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed live

Pours an intimidating, motor-oil black with a very thin, hard-to-coax head of dark, mocha colored foam. Looks exceptionally thick and alive

I can feel the funk from first sniff. Cherry-like tart smell, mixed with a sweet, sour funky note. Smells very similar to a Flanders Oud Bruin, not much here reminiscent of stout.

Wow! Extreme sour flavors assault the palate immediately. The only thing subtle about this are the stout characteristics, which hide way in the back, behind a wall of sour wild yeasty madness. This is an experience... sour, tart, spicy, corrosive. There is a LOT going on and I'm only 2 sips in. Sour and funky are literally the only things I can say to describe this beer. It's delicious if you're a huge fan of funky sour attack beers. And I've recently been drinking equal measures of imperial stouts and any and all spontaneous-fermentation/sours I can find, so this was opened at the right point in my life.

medium body, medium carbonation. Not anywhere near as thick as it looks, but that might be something to do with the crazy active carbonation. This one is not full of bubbles, but the bubbles that exist are tingly and alive. This beer impacts your mouth and your taste buds.

Overall, I'd say this beer is for the adventurous and the enthusiastic. Intimidating, unique, and memorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 11:58:04 | More by BigBarley

Clonies720

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: two finger khaki-colored head. Beer is so dark it practically absorbs the light

Aroma: Sourness, chocolate, coffee, toasty, and a velvety smooth aroma. As it warms up, a light pleasant citrus scent comes to life.

Taste: Quite more sour than actual Imperial Stout. And I mean the sourness takes more of the palate here, with the flavors of an Imperial Stout being underlying. It is fairly sweet, but the sourness cuts into it.

Mouthfeel: Quite smooth and creamy. Light-medium carbonation. Clocks in at medium body.

Overall: It's an odd, rarely seen type of brew even in the vast world of craft beer, but this is just insanely refreshing and light. Dangerously drinkable for an 8.2% ABV. I paired this with a lemon bundt cake with icing, and the duo is an absolute dynamic!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:08:43 | More by Clonies720

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

25.4 oz bottle into a stemless tulip pint. No visible bottling or best-by date.

Look- Pours a deep ruby brown with three fingers of crackly beige head. Excellent lacing.

Smell- Wow, that's unique. And in a good way. Chocolate milk, roasted pine nuts, white wine, pear cider. Raspberry, oak, vanilla, and a bit of leather emerge as it warms.

Taste- Bracingly sour, barely tempered by a robust roasty-toasty flavor that slowly asserts itself after the swallow. Primary flavors are cherry pie, blackberry/red raspberry, toasted biscuit, cola, espresso, and mocha, in that order. Smooth transition from tart, juicy flavors on the sip through the mellow choclaty finish with a hint of red wine and wood. Superb.

Mouthfeel- Assertive acidity at first, medium body, extremely fine but present carbonation. Dry, clean finish. Smooth, soft feel. mild mineral on the finish, barely noticeable and very appropriate. Very easy drinking. I probably could have finished the whole bottle myself. Scratch that, I would have if I could have.

Overall- Well, I'm impressed. I've got mixed feelings about JK, and some of their more experimental offerings (such as the one-off mash-ups they offer on tour days) are just a hot mess. This, however, is spot-on. None of the sometimes observed (what I would consider) "undesirable" wild characteristics (dirty feet, horse sweat, asparagus, etc.) are evident. The slightly sweet and well-rounded stout flavors blend perfectly with the not-quite puckery sourness and produce something both unique and delicious. Bravo. I'd like to see more like this. Absolutely, absolutely worth trying. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 06:45:06 | More by Lawl3ss

amnesia85

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

.750 Chilled in the fridge. Popped open and poured into my HF stem. I opened the night up with a founders breakfast stout to get my stout antennae pointed into the right direction. After my first pour I went back into the fridge to find out that the beer yeasted all over the place (gushed)
A: jet black with a sliver tinged head that dissipates to form a thin layer. Not that responsive to aggressive agitation. This beer is oily and bits of the small foam layer left over cling the the side of the glass as the level goes down.
S: raspberry mocha. Acidic unripened fruit. This beers smells mad dry.
T: the initial taste is the sour (but not vinegary) fruit followed by a blast of coco powder that starts in the middle of my tongue and expands to the end of my checks in all directions, even to the back of my uvula.
M: thick and heavy. Lightly carbonated which is A.O.K. With me.
O: I was super curious to try this because of previous reviews comparing it to CD4. It is similar in that is a dark sour but is also clearly different at the same time in that funk metal sticks true to its stout by nature. I'm unaware of the blend of base beers of CD4 but I know it wasn't as chocolaty. This defiantly blows tart of darkness out of the water. That's for sure. I'd like to try it again in a few months to see how it tartens up.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:43:04 | More by amnesia85

popery

California

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours black and murky. Just a sliver of dark brown around the edges of the glass. Little head. Just a thin film of brown bubbles of various sizes, and even that disappeared fairly quickly. I've seen pictures of this beer with a lot more head, so I assume that my bottle is just a bit low on carbonation. I really don't care about appearance nor expect perfect consistency from sours, so it doesn't bother me at all. The aroma has lots of fruit and some underlying stout character. I'm getting a lot of blackberries and red wine. There's a good dose of oak in there. Underneath that fruity sourness, there's chocolate, a little caramel and mild roast. Very pleasant mix of chocolate and fruit. The flavors are well composed and seem much more intentional than probably any other sour stout that I've tried. Taste is similar to aroma. Primary flavors are chocolate, sour, tannic oak, blackberries and red wine. Fairly tart, particularly in the finish. Some cocoa sweetness, but the oak provides a drying tannic bite. Nice lingering red wine and chocolate aftertaste. Carbonation is relatively low, but that might just be my bottle, in part. Very good sour stout. Probably the best I've had. I haven't been a big fan of many sour stouts, but this is an excellent beer. Jester King continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 07:16:06 | More by popery

weonfire

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Blackness, light mocha head, pencil thin head, no apparent lacing, not opaque what so ever.

S - Green apple, tart raspberry, blend of sour fruit.

T - initial: sour bacteria - granny smith apple, cranberry, tart raspberry. finish has slight roast with real minor chocolate. hop level is low.

M - Froth level is good, a bit thin, viscosity is a medium level.

O - Jester King calls this a Sour Barrel Aged Stout - if that is really the case, this would be the weirdest beer I have ever had. I certainly agree with BeerAdvocate, this fits more of the American Wild Ale style. Regardless, excellent sour love the Brettanomyces . Tart level is 6/10. Roast level blends in really well. At 16.99 its a tough beer to 'highly' recommend. But the monetary value eliminated - it is certainly very good and very unique.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 20:22:50 | More by weonfire

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to worthy sniffer

A: it pours very dark walnut brown in color. It pours with lots of carbonation that has a big head that is khaki in color but goes away quickly leaving a lacing. It looks like a standard stout

S: it definitely seems like it has quite a bit of sour yeast in the smell. It also has some sweet smell that could be dark fruit but I cannot really identify it.

T: this is crazy like this beer is really interesting to me upfront it is tart and house good sour flavor upfront but then that fades into a stout finish is like all of a sudden it is smooth and creamy with a roasted flavor. It's a very interesting combo but it really works.

M: it starts off as tart but not puckering while also being oily. Then when the stout flavor starts to come in it is thick a creamy in feel but not heavy it's actually pretty light for a stout. Lots of things in one beer but it works.

O:this one of the most interesting beer I have ever tried it is a sour upfront with a stout finish the transition is clean and works well I am really surprised but it is a mash of my two favorite styles. My first jk beer and i will be back. Not my favorite beer ever but this is 100% worth a try just for the experience.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 03:16:21 | More by Pinknuggets

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a snifter. Acquired as an extra from Surge1311, thanks dude!!

A- Opened as a gusher. Would not stop foaming from the second I opened it (annoying, -.25 for this). Pours a deep brown body with mahogany highlights. Has a mocha head that reduces quickly to a thin layer of white foam.

S- Tart fruit, red wine, dark cherries, leathery oak, and some coffee in the background.

T- Upfront it's pretty sour - I get fruit skins, red wine vinegar, tart cherries. The stout characteristics are subdued and show up ever so slightly in the follow through - slight coffee and roasty malt. There is also an oaky woodiness mixed in there. The finish is tannic.

M- Takes on the crispness and light body of a good sour.

Wow - this is extremely complex, flavorful, sour, and easy to drink. Has more sour characteristics than stout characteristics, but that's OK because it was very well crafted.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:54:45 | More by gcamparone

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a hint of brown and a thin finger of frothy chocolate-khaki head. Fades fairly quickly.

S - Sweet chocolate malts, sour cherries and other dark fruits, oak, red wine, some light roastiness and lactic acid, and a touch of booze.

T - Sweet chocolate malts, sour cherries, other dark fruits, red wine, oak, some lactic acid, vanilla, hint of black licorice, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sour, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Great sour stout. Great overall balance and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 06:25:43 | More by ngeunit1

claspada

New Jersey

3.96/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy dark brown coca-cola looking color with a foamy dark khaki head that recedes to leave some decent, soapy lacing.

Aromas begin with dark cherries, dark berries, apple cider and vinegar. As it warms you get some roasty char, espresso and oak.

The tastes begin with a savory sourness that I was not expecting; highlighted by dark black cherries, red apple, blackberry, currant and red vinious notes. As it warms you get more and more burnt woodiness, espresso roasted malts and some tangy sweet unripened berries.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Finish is fairly dry with a persistent acidity and light roasted/char flavor profile.

Overall this reminds me a lot of the Melange No 1 flavor profile, albeit much lighter and more drinkable. The savory, roasty flavors throw off the flavors for me a little. I like but I don't love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:59:16 | More by claspada

cfrances33

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared thanks to franklinn, poured into a Hill Farmstead.

Pour: Instant gusher... probably the most insane gusher I've seen. Have a glass ready! After that near calamity, great splashy, but midnight black pour with two fingers of khaki head. Leaves nice lacing.

Smell: Big lactic tartness up front, and a slight balsamic vinegar. Lots of roast and red wine barrel presence. This smells incredible.

Taste: Lots of farmhouse qualities up front: funk and some earth. Gives way to a big lactic tartness, a clean smooth roasted coffee, and lots of red wine. Finishes incredibly smooth and tart, and very dry.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is incredible velvety... tartness is just right, dry finish makes this stout astoundingly refreshing.

Overall: Very well done beer. Body is what makes this a nice stout, but qualities otherwise make this more of a black saison. I'd say this and CD4 are nearly interchangeable, albeit for the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:13:50 | More by cfrances33

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with dark roasted malt, dark fruit, wood, and bourbon aromas. Taste is much the same with only a mild sourness and more emphasis on the stout flavors. There is a mild amount of roasty and woody bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a great smell but the flavors don't match up in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 17:20:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

oline73

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a Jester King goblet.

Pours a very dark brown color with a layer of creamy off white head. Lots of sour notes in the smell, but there is a strong chocolate component as well. Just a touch of vinegar. The taste is quite sour but not at all abrasive. Lots of sour vinegar notes but not particularly funky. The finish is tart with a mild smoke notes. Everything works well together in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 01:10:22 | More by oline73

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 2.12.13

A - Gusher! Pours a dark brown with a fizzy brown head that quickly moves to the edges.

S - Funky, cherry, ripe fruit.

T - Funky cherry, red-wine, strong wood.

D - Tons of carbonation with a medium body.

O - Tart and dark cherry, strong wood lingers for a bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:36:08 | More by HuskyinPDX

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.38/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served with a nice tan head that settles to a ring. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is tart, roast, fruit. Flavor's largely tart with only a bare suggestion of stout. Body is a little on the thin side and again little like a stout. Finish is like flavor, on the short side, and I'm not so much a fan.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:34:30 | More by drpimento

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Light brown head that looks like pancake batter bubbling on a griddle.

Smells sour cherries, stout.

Taste is sour up front then fades to malt. Leather, dark chocolate after taste, the sourness adds a nice complexity to this stout. Tobacco and barrel taste as it warms. I'm not used to the juxtapositions of sour and stout. It works well.

This is a unique brew. I’ll have another.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 17:29:03 | More by XicanoBeerRun

TotallyHosed

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Opens with a loud hiss, followed by a very slow gush of foam. Pours with a large mocha head that leaves lots of lacing. The color is pitch black.

The smell is full of sour funk when the head is most prominent. The funky smell recedes with the head and becomes much more balanced. I smell some funk undertones with acidic edges. There's some bitter chocolate trying to sneak through.

The flavor starts refreshingly sour which tingles the tong a bit. Then there's a big tart acidic bite that quickly falls. The flavor finishes with roasted grains which is like dark bitter chocolate and lightly roasted coffee.

The feel is lightened by some lively carbonation. However, the carbonation washes away and leaves behind an oily coating that is rich in roast.

Overall, Jester King created a flagship standard for sour stouts. Every aspect of the brew is exemplary. Funk Metal will provide enjoyment to those that have appreciation for sours and stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:38:46 | More by TotallyHosed

mynie

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Why stop at oak and lactobacillus? Why not force an endangered animal to bathe in it, or add enough nutmeg to cause a large man to vomit while seeing god? The Scottish would go all the way. Brewdog would add literal gasoline and package the beer in the skull of a California Condor. They wouldn’t puss out with simple style-bending and racially uncomfortable artwork.

Sometimes you crash over the edge, my friends, and sometimes the edge comes crashing over you. In this case it’s most definitely the former. And the latter.
This tastes like a fucking bass line, like something that makes you dance in spite of yourself. Everyone around you is busy crying because grandma’s tumor just burst and you—you sick monster—you’re shaking your ass as if getting paid to do so. The brett and bacteria are at first almost too tart but then comes the rounded cocoa nodes of a fine sweet stout, rounding up everything almost goddamn perfectly.

(Full review at: http://mynie.com/?p=66)

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 17:33:07 | More by mynie

inlimbo77

Delaware

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Fall 2012
Heady Topper stemless wine glass

A: Pours pretty much pitch black. There are some reddish hues on edges as it thins out. Some lacing on glass is left on the glass from the slightly tan colored head.

S: As for the smell, I am getting straight up Tootsie roll here. It's like a blend of chocolate, cherry cola, and cocoa. I am getting some tart cherry, slight but there. Not as pronounced as in Tart of Darkness.

T: Interesting. Certainly different than ToD. This is more stout like, in body smell and flavor. Tart cherry sweetness is still there first. But then you are getting that milk chocolate cocoa like character. Which really seems to own the beer more so than the sour. I like the blend here. Someone dry finish, with the tart cherry cola aspect going on.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 14:21:35 | More by inlimbo77

DRyan

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12/31/12
Poured in a Jester King tulip glass, served at 50 degrees

A: Looks pretty much just like the Black Metal; dark with a deep tan head that was very vigorous (overflowed the bottle when I popped the cap) but settled quickly and receded to just a thin outline on the top of the beer. The head laces very nicely and while it receded from the vigorous initial head quickly, the small “outline” hung out for quite a while
S: Up front is strong sour scent, citrus fruits, with an underlying roasty body with almost some dark fruit smell hanging out in the background.
T: Hits you right up front with a very pronounced, strong sour, which then receds to the roasty, coffee-like body of the beer. I was pretty sure I was going to like the flavor, but damn! is it nice!!! I love the balance between the heavy, thick, stout and the much lighter feeling sour flavor; easily my favorite Jester King stout so far, and probably my favorite JK sour… I’d have to have another bottle of Boxer’s Revenge side by side to be sure, but I think this is the best thing I’ve had from JK.
M: Again, it’s that combination of things. The stout brings a very smooth and velvety quality to the feel, but the sour brings a zestiness and light zing to it. Hard to classify but easy to love.
D: I will have no problem putting down this 750ml by my self in not a whole lot of time, actually, I’m going to have to pace myself to enjoy it because I could only find 3 bottles of this, and the other two are going to age for a while before I dig into it again. Fine job, Jester King, fine job indeed.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:38:56 | More by DRyan