Plum.
Sour.
Stout.
These three words sound good when you say them individually, but when you say them together, they sound a bit mismatched. Plum and Sour works well together. Plum and Stout works too if the plums are ripe and sweet. But a Plum Sour Stout? That just sounds weird. Let's see how it was...
This beer looks great when you pour it thanks to its fluffy, tan foam which didn't linger very long and dissipated pretty rapidly. As far as the color, it's quite dark with an almost purple hue when you hold it up to the light (or maybe it was just the purple colored can that was messing with my vision).
The nose is all Stout with hints of chocolate and coffee. I might be getting a hint of plums, but I think it's probably the power of suggestion at play.
After that first sip, the Plum Sour Stout combination makes more sense to me. It starts with the sour which was like taking a bite out of a "not ripe enough" plum, i.e. kinda of lemony tart but with a touch of sweetness. At mid-palate the Stout flavors make an appearance. There's a nice balance of chocolate and coffee flavors, but the sour/tart flavors never let go. The finish is pretty pithy and astringent with a lingering sourness and hints of chocolate and coffee in the aftertaste.
Destihl's Plum Sour Stout was a fun little beer that reminds me of a Flanders Oud Bruin thanks to its balance of sour and dark roast malty goodness. I picked this up on a whim and am certainly glad that I did. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you like Sours and Stouts, then I think this is an interesting beer mash-up that is worth giving a try.
