Bristol Skull & Bones Cuvee

Brewed by Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Draught, sampled at the 2005 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago: Deep, muddy brown with orange-gold highlights and a disappearing taupe head. Musty, dark sour cherry aroma with funky, yeasty vanilla notes. Lingering Sweet-Tarts and hop bitterness…juicy, sharp and sour. Tingling & at the same time smooth palate. Liquid black cherry skin essence, mouth watering & simply fantastic.

Fobab 2005: Deep purple hue with an oily cling. Wow what an aroma! Brett, tannic oak, and cherry come to the forefront big time with just a touch of vanilla wafers, dusty esters, and some belgian sugar. The taste follows suit with that nice acidic fruit and wild yeast nature supported by an french oak tannic background. Some heather, wild flower, and clove hints. The feel is puckery and dry on the finish, lively and sharp upfront. An outstanding brown sour, I love it and the best I had this day.

G.A.B.F. 2008: Pours hazy brown/burgundy with a thick tan head. The aroma has vanilla, oak ,cocoa, tart fruity notes of passion fruit/cherry. The flavor has a mix of oak, cocoa, and mild toasted vanilla. Has a light vinous quality, and funky/earthy notes are there with underlying leather, subtle toasted toffee and earthy oak into the finish. A nice surprise from this small brewer.

Sampled at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer at Goose Island, Nov.11, 2005. Dark brown with no head. Classic horseblanket and barnyard in aroma, with sour cherries. Classic flemmish sour with vinegar and griotte cherries in mouth. Very nice and smooth, rich bodied. A nice discovery.

GABF 2005. Medium head, cloudy brown. Aroma is dry and spicy with lots of cherries. Taste is a big hit of sour and tart cherries. Dry, clean finish. An in-state rival to La Folie.

On tap: Fruity tart aromas with moderate vinegar an woodiness. Dark brownish-orange with no transparency and an insignificant off-white head, just a few bubbles around the edges. Sour/tart cherry flavor up front with a very woody finish and light spiciness.

The body of this ale is a thick, purplish brown with a head that... Wait, I had no head on mine! The aroma wasvery sour dark cherries, kind of funky with wet hay and woody characteristics. Thick and creamy, it delivered a face-puckering sourness, tart with cherries and spices. The finish was oddly bitter-sweet-sour. I like.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Third Annual Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/12/2005<font size=-1>

3rd FoBAB. Super dark brownred with a very small, tan head. Cherries, cinnamon, caramel, hay, horseblanket, red grapes, oak, light tobacco, strong tannics and noticable acidic character. A fairly thin body, due to the lack of carbonation. Tart, fruity flavors dominate with complex, barnyardy delightfulness throughout. Some light sweetness followed by strong acidity. Tremendous Brett character as well. A solid beer, but probably not quite as outstanding as it could have been. It seems a bit more malt to carry the acidity would have been nice. Nonetheless, a tasty beer.