Photo by Jay Paul
I’m never quite ready to let go of fall.
The in-betweenness of the season appeals to me with its crazy unpredictability — one day I’m craving ice cream to cool me the hell down, the next I’m reaching for a scarf when I walk out the door.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I seek out beers this time of year to match the variable mood — like this Sour Walrus soured stout from newcomer Vasen Brewing, which opened in suds-centric Scott’s Addition in July.
Sour stouts are fruity, roasty, puckering and malted — an odd but (if you ask me) engaging mix of qualities in a beer.
What produces this motley mix?
The beers are soured with bacteria or blended with an already soured brew.
Vasen achieves its striking effects by roasting the beer as a malt and then finishing it as a hard tart.
The result?
A beer that doesn’t do what you think it’s going to. The pour is a dark, heavy brown, but then you take that first sip: Nope, nothing dark or heavy about it going down. You’ll be tempted to look back at the glass, just to make sure.
Oh, and at only 5.4 percent ABV and lightly bitter, it’s an ideal quaff for those tired of hoppy IPAs.
Personally, I like turning it into a beer cocktail and pairing it with a hearty, spicy chili to enjoy in the cool, crisp air at a tailgate.
Unless, that is, the sun’s out and I’m raining sweat.
