Crooked Stave Nightmare on Brett
Dark sour ale aged in Leopold Bros whiskey barrels
A demonic dark sour, Nightmare on Brett takes on many facets during its transformation to the sour side. Initially aged in large oak foeders with our mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria, this beer is then transferred to bourbon and whiskey barrels. The various spirit barrels bring on a new life to this beer as it conditions for months, while obtaining additional bourbon and whiskey characteristics. Dominated by dark fruit aromas and flavors, the underlying cacao notes meld with an acidic tart berry finish. With each batch release being a unique blend of barrels, the multiple variations of Nightmare on Brett released throughout the year prove that with creativity and experimentation, anything is possible.
A demonic dark sour, Nightmare on Brett takes on many facets during its transformation to the sour side. Initially aged in large oak foeders with our mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria, this beer is then transferred to bourbon and whiskey barrels. The various spirit barrels bring on a new life to this beer as it conditions for months, while obtaining additional bourbon and whiskey characteristics. Dominated by dark fruit aromas and flavors, the underlying cacao notes meld with an acidic tart berry finish. With each batch release being a unique blend of barrels, the multiple variations of Nightmare on Brett released throughout the year prove that with creativity and experimentation, anything is possible.
3.9
312 reviews
Denver, United States
Community reviews
On tap at The Sovereign (Washington, DC). Dark brown body with a thin, lasting, beige foamy head. Robust malty aroma with liquorice, vineous, and oaky hints. Its strong malty/hoppy taste carries brett yeast, liquorice, oaky, roasty, and cocoa notes. Ends with a long, strong, warming sweet/woody finish. Good stuff.
Draft at Armsby Abbey. Pours black with a khaki head. Leaves some lacing in the glass. Definitely get the whiskey influence on the nose and tongue but I’m not sure it works as a sour.
0.75l bottle. Pours black with beige head. Aroma of dark fruits, red berries, oak, bourbon, chocolate. Taste is sour, red berries, dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, oak with a hint of bourbon. Very well balanced. Best sour I've ever had.
75cl Bottle @ De Bierkoning, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Dark reddish brown colour with a thin tan head.
Aroma is berries, citrus, tart, malt, whisky, oak.
Taste follows the aroma.
Medium body, average carbonation.
Aromat średnio-intensywny, dużo wiśni i czekolada w tle. W smaku wytrawne, czerwone owoce, cytrynowa wysoka kwaśność, z lekko octowym drapaniem. Finisz cierpki, pestkowy.
Bottle: Poured a black color ale with a large light brown foamy head with good retention with some OK lacing. Aroma of light roasted malt with some vinous notes and some clear tart notes also perceptible. Taste is a very good mix of light roasted malt with some tart notes, funky ester, no acidity with light ok and whisky notes that are also apparent. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Good mix of complexity and drinkability for style that doesn’t usually excite me.
Bottle. Color: Almost black, thin light brown head. Aroma: Sour dark cherries, Brett funk. Taste: Tart dark cherries, dark fruit, dark malt, subtle Brett funk notes, wood tannins. Light hints of the Whiskey, best recognizable at the finish. Balsamic vinegar hints. Dry-ish mouthfeel. Over medium body, soft carbonation. Long lasting tart fruity finish. Moderate to medium sour, moderate sweet and bitter. Complex, very well balanced. Very nice Dark Sour Ale.
On tap at dezso. Brown colour no head. Nose is low sourness, roasted malts, cocoa, faint vanilla. Taste is intense sourness, acetic acid, faint vanilla. Lingering balsamic acid finish.
Tap @ Taphouse 10/5-19. Fruity with black currant, also acidic and funky. Body is medium, dry finish.
On tap at the Appaloosa Grill, Denver, black with a tan ring, acetic nose with hints of cocoa, red fruit and cream. Big acetic sour hit with an acrid sour cherry edge, there's a fruity sweetness lurking in the background but it's well hidden.
FIrst had 3 years ago when i accidently walked into one of the best breweries in the world. Now having 3 years later from tavour. Sour beers are easier to come by but this remains impressive.
Dark brown with a light brown head. Aroma is tart berries, wood, baking spices, chocolate, olives and vinegar. Taste is medium/heavy sour and medium/heavy bitter.
Pours as dark as night. Almost no head. Aroma...smells like sauerkraut...I'm not a sour ale guy but, this is an interesting ale . Taste is tart, citrus fruits,cherries. I'm glad I gave it a shot.
Pours a blackish red, smells malty and a bit jammy, some roast. Big flavour, almost cigar like, woody wine flavour, nice malty and acidic texture, lightens up the body, some sweetness and dark ripe fruit. Really yummy.
W aromacie owoce, w smaku kwaśne z wyraźną słodką kontrą, zaznaczona beczka, taniny, bardzo gęste. Dużo się dzieje, bardzo złożone piwo z właściwie niewyczuwalnym alkoholem. Rewelacja
On tap (Madison, WI)
Draft handles like this are why I love getting out to Brassiere V once a month or so. This excellent American sour does everything right. As an added bonus the chance to try it on draft left money in the budget for a few other beers that night. If you have a chance to drink this fresh on tap make it a priority.
AROMA / APPEARANCE
A sharp burst of acidic cherry powers upwards from the cloudy base. Sweet edges attempt to cut the tart bite but do little to alter the general first impression.
FLAVOR / PALATE
Sour cherries, dry acidic layers, and a strong vinegar bite scour clean the tongue and throat. The full bodied punch continues into the sharp finish. By the end the taste of vinegar infused cherry pie filling can only be rinsed away with a generous helping of water. This was the clear gem of the evening and one I would probably try again depending on the draft options at the time.
Barwa ciemno brązowa, piana spora.
Aromat wiśni, czerwonych owoców, czekolady, brettów, drewno.
W smaku winne, kwaśne, wiśniowe, owocowe, lekko skórzane, brettowe.
Alko totalnie nieobecne.
Dobre pifko.
750ml corked and caged. Dark brown pour, basically black with the slightest of reddish hues coming through. Loads of dark fruit, some bitter cocoa, and a solid dose of funk! Barnyard aromas and some big lactic notes. Silky mouth feel, with a soft but still lively carb. Very tart finish, lambic funk notes lots of dark fruit, the barrel is subtle. Earthy, oaky notes, but the whisky is subtle. Light smoke, light roast. Incredibly complex, rounds out with some balsamic vinegar notes. This beer comes at you in waves. So much going on, alcohol is well hidden. A real sipping treat.
Lemon forward tartness with dark chocolatey roast. Some barrel notes, just not working for me.
Tap at Mikkeller Bangkok. Poured a clear dark brown colour with a mostly lasting frothy light tan head. The aroma is bretty yeast, red berry fruits. The flavour is moderate sour with a crisp, yeasty, tart fruit, oaky, light boozy alcoholic palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Nicely balanced. Not too sour and the alcohol is well hidden.
Bottle from Main St Liquor in Nashville. Almost opaque very dark brown with a thin off white head. Nose is super sour, tart, little coffee and roasted malt but this is mainly mega sour. Taste is big tart and sour, lactobacillus sour, not much of the stout character, fruity sourness.
On tap @Ma che siete venuti a fà (Rome). Nera, densa, impenetrabile, schiuma color cappuccino media, scurissima. Al naso note di frutta rossa, legno, solvente, acetico leggero, caffé, cuoio. In bocca è ostica, acida media, con lieve acetico, si lascia apprezzare nei primi sorsi ma si fatica a finirne 20cl. Corpo pieno, carbonazione media. Da provare una volta.
2018-10-21. Black body, small tan head. 3+ Aroma has nice moderate funk character over dark malt. Fruit notes. Flavour of tangy tart fruit, brett, light roast. 7+ Average bodied palate, moderate carbonation. Grows on me 7/3-4/7-8/3/16+ On tap at Cask Days 2018, Toronto.
Oct 2018 - Keg at Source Market Taproom, Denver as Crooked Stave Nightmare on Brett Leopold Whisky BA. Pours an opaque black with a foamy ring of brown head. Aroma is deep black cherry, plastic, touch of acidic coffee, plum, oaky and a touch of toffee bourbon. Body is smooth with tingly carbonation. Taste is initially mixed berry compote but that is quickly overtaken by a huge punchy hit of caramel, loads of salted caramel and some some toffee butterkist popcorn with a sour plummy note, toffee infused with cranberry and redcurrant. The sweet toffee note is needed to balance that tartness. Very nice. (8-4-8-3-16=3.9)
Bottle, courtesy of DerA, many thanks! Pours dark red-brown with a red-beige head. Aroma is leathery funk, green peppers, rust, a bit of cardboard, nuts. Unusual! Body is medium, quite sour and tart, pulls your moth together like nothing else, still lots of berries and barrel and bitterness. Still a strongly roasted background, but it's mostly a background. Railroad tracks. Dry palate, but still complex and flavourful. An explosion of things, not easy to digest or dissect. Good though!
A deep dark sour ale with a thin brown head. In aroma, sweet fruity chocolate malt with loads of Brett, light lactic notes, light Brett, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity chocolate malt with light acidity, light Brett, light lactic notes, very nice and complex. On tap at Cask Days 2018.
4 oz pour from bottle at Red Cypress brewery. Pours dark brown color with tan head. Sour fruit and whiskey aromas. Very sour cherry flavor with whiskey and oak. Medium body with average carbonation.
(discret brett-cerise, ~vineux, légère-acide, choco (!), ~carbo, nano-sky, all acidulé, bien faite, no satisfecit)
Black pour, brown head. Wild looking for a Sour! Aroma of blackberries, wine, whiskey, leather and chocolate. Taste follows with lemon cherry and oak, really rich and berryfull. Complex and tasty.
750mL corked bottle from Carwyn Cellars
9.666%abv 2016 harvest
Deep near opaque bronze/cola sort of pour, small tan head slowly forms.
Brooding aroma holds its cards close to its chest - old wood, brown sugar, stewy black & vinous fruits, some funky horse sweat notes, very earthy/leathery.
It bites hard - christ that's some sourness - tartaric(?) like plum skins, with grainy tannin, almost grippy too...bit of pedio maybe? Low carbonation, there's a sort of slickness that wants to be a malt body in there.
Wow it really ramps up on the palate - insanely intense, mouth puckering & complex; sour cherry, red plums, blueberries & blackcurrant, old almost smokey barrel character, brown sugars & browned toast/crust. Becomes more funky as it goes - hints of ethyl acetate, leather, horse blanket, aged Balsamic...it just goes on and on, doesn't hold back!
Quite possibly the most insane redition of Flemish/sour brown ale I've ever come across - everything is ramped up to 11 on this bad boy!