Walking from my Daughter`s house to the centre of Newcastle took us along the Tyne to the Quayside to taste HocusPocus, the first Spirit Barrel release by Brewdog`s Overworks Brewery which specialises in Soured beers. On the way we tried a couple of beers from the Tescos Craft range including a new can opening system I hadn`t seen before.
Anyway back to Hocus Pocus - soured beers are intentionally infected with wild yeasts which produce acids such as lactic & acetic acid which sour the beer. Normally this is a bad thing (vinegary!) but in controlled conditions produces a mouth puckering complexity.
HP is an imperial stout dried out with Brettanomyces yeast, then inoculated with the Overworks house sour culture Cher Ami to develop bright acidity. The addition of raspberries & cocoa nibs augments the dark malts & is intended to balance the acidity of the sour culture – and then a year spent maturing in Speyside whisky casks adds all sorts of complexity.
Anyway back to Hocus Pocus - soured beers are intentionally infected with wild yeasts which produce acids such as lactic & acetic acid which sour the beer. Normally this is a bad thing (vinegary!) but in controlled conditions produces a mouth puckering complexity.
HP is an imperial stout dried out with Brettanomyces yeast, then inoculated with the Overworks house sour culture Cher Ami to develop bright acidity. The addition of raspberries & cocoa nibs augments the dark malts & is intended to balance the acidity of the sour culture – and then a year spent maturing in Speyside whisky casks adds all sorts of complexity.
So what did it taste like? Well the aroma is a big hit of raspberries with a hint of tobacco/cigar sweetness but it surprises with a very sour acidity with underlying chocolate and dark fruit complexity. This is a dry beer given the Imperial stout origins. I think it is currently a bit unbalanced with a clear separation in the elements BUT it is very young and capable of aging for several years given the oak and the high acidity. Overall it is a brilliant beer but needs cellaring to bring out the promise of maturity. I bought one for laying down for a couple of years! In summary its like a Bordeaux wine!
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