Destihl Saint Dekkera Barrel Reserve Belgian Sour: Scotch Ale

Brewed by Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Normal, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Draft on tap at the brewpub (Champaign, IL). My first visit. The newest sour from the group. Pours a murky deep darkish brown hue, well hazed, ruby edges show a small filmy offwhite head that dies to a tiny ring, minimal lacing. Aromas are stark sweeter malts, throwing a lactic presence and oak, dark fruit, toffee, and coffee. Touches of crisp caramel, toast, and biscuits, dancing with sour dark fruit, more oak, and lactic presence. Initial is crisp biscuits and toffee, dark fruit, and sour cherries and red wine vinegar meet. Gentle yet firm, backend throws that weird crisp and sweet maltiness paired with a sufficient sourness, oak, and cherries. Lactic acid, vinegar, and more oak. Up front, cocoa and touches of peat do come throw, middle throws more sourness and let’s the barrel take over. Nice, but different. A change of pace from the Flanders/Oud Bruin which is straight sour, this one shows the base a good deal up front trailing into lovely sour bliss. Very nice.

Thanks for the growler, Adam. The pour is a dark brown color with some reddish notes. An interesting aroma. Some vanilla and malt sweetness with a bit of caramel. Some vinegar notes and maybe a hint of dark fruit. Most of the tartness is there in the form of vinegar. A little bit of vanilla and malt sweetness to it. Some hints of oak and a mild grass note. Medium body with low carbonation.

1 liter fliptop. Courtesy of the brewers... Opening the growler yielded a small reassuring hiss. Pours comes through as fairly dark mahogany in nature, almost stout-like in appearance with lesser intense reddish hues. The head resting on top was soft and soapy and light beige in color... Earthy tobacco leafy notes upfront in the nose with some subordinate tart cherry qualities. Lighter chocolate and subtle sour character... Flavors follow suit closely with not a huge sour presence. Tobacco, earthy, chocolate covered tart cherries. Semi-sweet in nature, with a semi-thick and full consistency. Nice balance between the base scotch ale as well as the more subtle yet noticeable sour barrel character. I thoroughly enjoyed this and we had no issues working our way through the growler. Not as sour or assertive in nature as the other dekkeras.