Big Rock Chop House Michigan Sour Cherry Tripel

Brewed by Big Rock Chop House & Brewery
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Birmingham, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: MAR 8, 2009 12oz bottle from derek. thanks HM.....pours a reddish copper brown with a medium white head.... aroma of caramel mustiness, really earthy. not much in the way of cherries....strange amalgamation of flavors. cherries, vanilla, coconut, and sour tartness. decent carbonation.

12oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a hazy, dark watermelon color; minimal head formation. Cherry / red fruit juice, a touch of tartness, and plenty of fruitiness in the aroma. Medium mouthfeel: chewy, sugary cherry / watermelon juice, some fruity tartness with a touch of citrus and basic sugar; drinkable, mildly tart fruit beer. Medium finish, showing sugar, fruit juice, and cherries.

Bottle thanks to ericandersnacy. The loook is clear, light reddish color, with a light fizzy white head. The smell is sour, tart, cherry, acidic, nail polish. The taste is spurish, cherry, missing some complexity.

Bottle shared by puzzl via Eyedrinkale. Pours a reddish orange with a pinkish white head. Very cheesy aroma-some cheese rind, earthy barnyard, oak and a touch of subtle cherry skin tartness. Creamy on the palate. Starts with a lightly sweet vanilla-like oak note that mingles with lightly earthy brett. Some cheesy notes come through. The cherry is subtle but detectable and is more tart than sweet. Pretty tasty and interesting. Well done.

12oz bottle. Beautiful pour, orange-ish pink with a small off pink head. Nice nose of semi tart cherries, and some Belgian yeast. Nice sweet and semi tart cherry flavors with some faint citrus. Medium dense on the palate, damn tasty!

Draft at the 2012 Michigan Brewer’s Guild Winter Beer Festival, Grand Rapids. Like a liquefied, giant cherry Spree or Jolly Rancher, odd, not altogether unpleasant; tart and very sweet.

25-Feb-11 (12-oz sample bottle not commercially available: Free bottle for stewarding the 2008 World Beer Cup in San Diego, CA) With just a competition label taped to the bottle, the beer is called Reserve Cherry Tripel, but it was entered into the Wild and Barrel Aged Sour Beer category, so that’s the clue that this isn’t really a Tripel. Pouring the cloudy, orange-amber beer into a tulip glass, only large, white bubbles form from the pour and immediately dissipate, leaving the thinnest of rings around the edge. Without even putting my nose to the glass, the sourness is evident from aromas wafting into the air. At closer range, the nose offers tart cherry, vinegar, oak barrel, and a touch of funk and horse blanket, signs of quality and solid craftsmanship. Oak is very prominent in the overall flavor, and it tastes like new oak rather than something like red wine or bourbon barrels. Cherries are very tart with just a hint of sweetness in the background and hints at cherry pie filling (but far less sweet), but other fruits such as star fruit and grapefruit are also suggested. The base Tripel is not recognizable, but there is a modest, general maltiness in the background, especially in the finish when some of the acidity has faded off the palate. There is a bit of horsey funkiness from the wild yeast, but at most, it’s generally adding a subtle character in the background. The flavors are well-integrated and in pleasant balance from entry to finish, but three years of cellaring might have helped in this regard. Carbonation is light, but this is more than offset by the medium-high acidity, so this light-medium bodied beer is dry, bright, and vibrant on the palate. Overall, this isn’t a world-class sour – it’s not complex enough and needs more influence from wild yeast – but this is still a solid American sour. Very enjoyable and worth seeking out, though this is an early release, before it officially became a bottled product, and it’s been cellared for three years, so YMMV.

12oz Bottle. Nice krieked sour ale aroma, rich brett cherry pie, and creamy wildness. Great funk and cherry. Great! Pours a clearish rose colored, with water-colored fringe. Not much head. Flavor is nuts. I’ve never seen cherry this complex. An amazing run of cherry juice, deep pie crust, and an intense rich almond I would never have imagined that I would seen in the beer. Subdued sweetness and light funk. Finishes on this incredible, distinct white chocolate flavor. A touch of oak. Amazing mix of fruit, malt, barrel and alcohol. Intense! Brett funk melds so well. Carbonation works well. Vanilla makes an incredible fruit flavor. Tremendous balance, great barrel, great fruit, awesome flavor and the right level of funk. Soft and not harsh, which makes it amazing. Woo hoo! Thanks Sean!

12 ounce thanks to mikem409. Almost pink lemonade color. Big sour fruit with strong oak finish. Interesting combination. Oak drowns cherries a bit, but adds interesting twist.

12 oz bottle. Clear purple orange with a brief white head that settles to a thin coating. Nose is sour cherry, yeast, candi and pepper. Nostril stinging tartness. Prickly carb with a smooth medium body. Taste is cherry, lemonade and yeast. Dry finish with cranberry and dough. I loved the idea of this brew and it came through admirably even if a little pop-py.