Judge's Review: 76 Rating - Double Cup / Purple Stuff by Pontoon Brewing

Double Cup / Purple Stuff by Pontoon Brewing is being evaluated as a Wild Specialty Beer (Category 28C) according to the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.

This beer pours an impressive dark ruby red color with opaque clarity. A fine bubbled mousse-like pink head persists on top and eventually fades leaving a ring around the glass. On the initial aroma is a moderate buttered popcorn and diacetyl. As the beer warms, a very low malt sweetness is apparent but is quickly overpowered by a moderate-low lactic sour notes. Moderate-low wisps of blackberry and boysenberry seem to share space with the lactic notes. No hops are discerned in this beer. The initial sip consists of a moderate (almost moderate-high) lactic note which is quickly followed by a very brief neutral sweetness and a low tannic bitterness. As the sourness dissipates the flavors of the blackberry, boysenberry, and concord grape fruits manifest. In the finish is a quick burst of Sangria wine-like notes, lingering tannic like flavor similar to drinking strong black tea, and lingering buttered popcorn Jelly Belly’s.  A few minutes after the sip, lingering concord grape jelly remains by itself in the aftertaste. This beer has a medium body with moderate low carbonation. There is a slight alcoholic warmth, light slickness, and light sour and tannic driven puckering in the mouth. Overall, the tartness provided by the use of the blackberries, boysenberries, and lactic producing bacteria provide an interestingly tart beer with the additional fruity and tannic structure of the currants balanced by the sweetness of the concord grape. The present diacetyl naturally produced by the bacteria strain selection, however, detracts from the quality of the beer as a whole and made it hard to finish the glass.