Destihl St. Dekkera Excommunie Quatre

Destihl St. Dekkera Reserve Sour Ale Excommunie Quatre, sour quadrupel ale aged in oak barrels. Brewed and bottled by Destihl Brewery, Bloomington, IL. Alc. 11.5% by vol.  Batch/year: 2013.

Clear and rosy hued. Slim, tight ring of head.

In the nose, sweetness first, then sour. Cherries and funk. Sourness increased, oak-iness continues. Very complex and intriguing aromatics. Beautiful, really.

In the mouth, it's as deep, dark, and delicious as you can get. Fruitiness, tannins, bitterness, souring, oak edges....all of this happening at once. Lays long on the palate. Sour mixes with malt sweetness, no hop bitterness. Refreshing, while strong and boozy. Tartness continues and hangs heavy, delivering deliciousness.

I'm just gonna come right out and say it: this is good. Richness, fruit, sour, dark, delicious malt. This has it going on. Pretty amazing. Worth the $19 I paid for it? Yeah.