Durham Diabolus

Brewed by Durham
Style: Imperial Stout
Durham, England

Serve in Snifter

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It’s been a long time coming. When I started out I was warned off this by a good friend. Rightly so as I needed to earn my stripes and this is a beast of a beer. Every mouthful seems different, a powerful sour kick followed by that lovely imp smoothness and depth. Durham seems to be popular tonight. It’s a good place to be. I chose the wrong glass, but that’s how we roll.

Bottle at Cotteridge Wines, Birmingham. Sour smell. Sour taste that comes into its own on the finish. Stout in the mouthfeel, Sour/Wild in the flavour - though a gentler one than e.g. Rodenbach. Should not work. DOES WORK.

33cl bottle (had a taste at the brewery a few days after release during the summer, but wanted to give the bottle a few months in the cellar before rating). Pours a luxurious jet black with thin off-white head - plenty of lacing. Aroma is pure gueuze funk - cider vinegar, citric tones, light barnyard, light leather - only a light hint of roasted malt and coffee; the yeast strain has really started to dominate the impy characteristics, which were much more pronounced last time I had it. Taste brings more of a roasted note to the table, with coffee and dark chocolate at the fore too; the impy character is short lasting however, as the gueuze yeast takes hold of the palate: citric sourness, funky notes, light leather - lovely and tart. Lingering green apple tartness alongside a touch of roasted malt. Wow. What a piece of brewing prowess. Never before have I tasted an imperial stout of 10% ABV that’s so light and refreshing; this is even better than I remember it being - I’m sure it’ll keep getting better too.

Bottle. Fantastic bottle art! Dark as night, maybe with a slight hint of ruby around the edges. The head disappears quickly after the pour. Sour berry smell, blackcurrants, redcurrants, perhaps a touch of ripe banana. In the mouth, there’s a strong sour kick at first - berry pie, with a sprinkling of sugar on the crust to take the edge off it. The majority of the flavour is at the back of the mouth and in the throat here, but there’s a slight roastiness across the rest of the tongue. The sourness to this really makes this a "grown-up" drink and I look forward to aging a bottle and seeing what I get out of it in years to come.

Drunk at Cotteridge Wines very very good beer sampling party. Sour/Wild? Who decided that? I have no objections. This was fascinating, and a great moment in the evening when everyone was together to try something a little different. Was a bit pissed by this time though so don’t remember too much - good job I’ve a cheeky bottle in the cupboard, will re-review on that sampling. From memory was lovely sour roast. New flavour for me.

Tasted from the bottle, on 08/12/2012. Pours of dark brown, with a lovely creamy, coffee-like foam. Aroma is just incredible! Just amazing mix of sour and roasted barley notes. Taste is extra intense, lovely sour upfront, then following by notes of vanilla, dark chocolate and roasted malts. The best thing in this beer is that it is perfectly balanced, being sour and still having all of these distinct stout notes. Recommended++ ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle at the 0-65% Tasting, London - thanks to Jack for bringing. A light gusher. Pours rich brown with a tan cream head. Smells like a geueze, not a dark beer - quite an impressive feat. Big sour flavor, some poo, mellow grassy bitterness, almost no dark beer character. Medium to full bodied with average carbonation and a soft, creamy mouthfeel. Clean finish with light manure, good sourness, light grass. Exceptional. Biggest surprise of the tasting. Well done, Durham.

1600th rating! 330ml bottle. Pours black with a thin head. Aroma is sour lemon, mild gueuze and dry roast. Taste is tart lemon to start. Tart and coffee finish. Drinks like lemonade. This is a fantastic experiment.

Bottle @ Free Trade Inn, Newcastle 060912
Thanks to Durham Brewery for the taster
Very dark ruby, ruby edges, off white head
Aroma - very fruity sour, light vinegar, port, deep red berries, dark fruits, no roast malt here, interesting, complex
Taste as main flavour, complex rich fruits, touch fruity red wine vinegar, quite sour, complex, hint of chocolate and deep malt underneath, the wild yeast has knocked out almost all the impy stout flavour, great flavour, booze fairly well hidden
Palate - soft carb, surprising thinnish body, sour but balanced by sweetness of the fruit malts. Finish - lingering, warm, now the Temptation comes thorough, impy dark choc, rich dark fruits (less red berries)
Overall - Well this experiment paid off - probably one of the best beers they have done. Is it better than Temptation? I think it just is but they both get 4.1 - BTW The taste seems to have changed so much it really isn’t an imperial stout anymore

Pours dark ruby Brown with a lively micha coloured heady. Funky cider vinegar on the nose. Washed rind cheese up front with cider vinegar following after, tart with light body and carbonation, some lemon and cola with a touch of roast barley right at the end. Definitely worth trying!