Bristol Skull & Bones Special Strong Dark

Formerly brewed at Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Draught at Bristol. Pours opaque black with a tall tan creamy head that only diminishes slightly. Sour berry yeast (barrel aged) and dark roasted malt aroma with an oak nose. Sour berry and dark roasted malt flavor with yeast and oak notes; slight acidic hop notes and faint dark chocolate. Dark bodied and fizzy, lively carbonated palate.

Dark Brown. Aroma of burning leather, sour, dripping dark fruits and mellow milk chocolate. Flavor begins with a huge dose of acidity and sourness that levels down a bit throughout the mid-palate and finish but maintains throughout the profile. On the mid-palate, a touch of roastiness is evident along with notes of chocolate, plum skin and dark fruits, especially berries. The finish possesses a touch of leather and then the acidity comes back into play, grasps my tastes buds and doesn’t let go. Exploding, gripping and bubbly feel on the palate. A unique beer that was worth the three hour drive.

Draught:FoBAB 2004: a ton of oak-laden overtones, beautiful cloudy umber color. Tones of woody, freshly picked cherries toned down with a bit of charcoal and earth and topped with bittersweet chocolate. Slightly smoky finish.

Draught; 2004 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (Chicago): muddy brown clay, reminiscent of sludge…minimal, though creamy, off-tan head. Oaken, dark red grape aroma with an interesting metallic sourness. Initially peppery on the tip of the tongue and melds into a bitter, piney treat with a dry, somewhat earthy component. Roasted cherry skins, tanned leather and bitter hops, amid a long sourness -> right up my alley, what a treat!

FOBAB’04: Dark red clay color, nose is tart and complex, with hints of alloy and medicine, lime and cherry. taste was complex, as well, with spicy, tart cherry and sweet oaky vanilla tones. Finishes very acidic and tart, swirling cherry and spritzy alcohol around. Awesome.

Shiggy, Shiggy another great one at the FOBAB 2004: Similar to the New Belgium La Folie, but with a bit more spiced, honey, dark fruitish flavors. Really struck a nice balance all the way through.

Dark, murky brown with a small, light brown head. The aroma of sweet cherries, chocolate, barnyard, tobacco, hay, plums, and light yeasty esters is quite enticing. The body is soft with a nice roundness from delightful levels of carbonation. A nice tart fruitiness shows through in the flavor with layered malts, sharp acidity and a refreshing, crisp dry finish. A highlight of the festival, to be sure, and something I’d drink with regularity if given the opporunity.

Draft: Mucky brick. Thick, densely packed foam. Alluring aroma with notes of bandage, sour cherries, and husky malt. Whispers of oak, phenols, iron, and flower petals. Quite vinous and tangy. Feathery soft carbonation with tiny needly pricks. Starts meaty and chocolaty with lighter notes of husky pale malt latching onto the back of the throat. Sizeable medicinal flavor highlights the well-rounded iron tartness. Pervasive mustiness couples with understated tannins, which tingle the tongue. Chocolate, tobacco, and nuts lurk beneath the chewy malt pillar. Well-masked alcohol. Much more lactic and rounded/tart, than it is astringently bretty. Sour cherries and firm acidity give way to a musty oak finish packed with an abundance of leather and harsh minerals. Here’s another Belgian-inspired American lambic that’s assertively tart and funky...not to mention the sturdy malt frame, which deepens the flavor and absorbs some of the acidity. If this is an indicator of what their upcoming lambic-style S&B series will have to offer: Oh my! This is a remarkable, highly commendable accomplishment in the world of beer.

Very dark brown in color. Nice and clean mouthfeel; not too heavy, not too light. Roasty and woodsy with some sour cherry notes. Phenolic addition - in some peculiar way - was actually quite nice. Nicely balanced and fresh-tasting. Dryish finish. Good stuff!

Draught. Body is murky dark brown. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted bread, roasted grain, chocolate), moderately yeasty (barnyard, horseblanket, cobwebs), with notes of cask wood, cherry, and bandage. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation. Surprisingly fabulous...whereas I was kind of left feeling ambiguous about Fantome BBB Dark, this one is along those lines (like a light stout mixed with Flemish sour ale), yet more enjoyable/drinkable. I ended up drinking virtually an entire pint of this stuff at once by using all of my remaining tickets (Boulder Strong Ale fest) to persuade the server to give me about five or six 2oz samples in one glass. And right to the end of that pint, I was smiling ear to ear. Thought it was better than Cuvee de Tomme at this fest (may re-review that one later in bottle form). Hope they end up bottling this.