Dark Swan
Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California, United States 🇺🇸
Sour / Wild Beer - Flavoured Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.08
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Observers of yestercentury once doubted the existence of the Dark Swan, stating the fair-feathered fowl was the only color of its kind. Explorers eventually upended that theory, shocking the world and shining light on the Dark. This beer might just do the same. It’s a sour ale fermented with dark red wine grapes, giving it its uniquely deep and rich purple hue. Then it received the signature Lagunitas treatment with a healthy dose of experimental dry hops. This might just shock your taste buds!
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7/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Nov 2017
at 21:08
8/10
Tried
on 05 Nov 2017
at 16:29
7.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle from Total Wine. Beautiful dark ruby red. Tannin nose, sour cherry and grape taste. Dark fruit finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Sep 2017
at 19:48
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 6/3/2017. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy dark ruby red/purple color with a 1 finger dense pink head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big tart/sour cherry, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, plum, red grape, fruit skin, lemon, green apple, red wine, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, lightly toasted bread, light funk/vinegar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, red grapes, earthy hops, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/sour cherry, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, plum, red grape, fruit skin, lemon, green apple, red wine, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, lightly toasted bread, light funk/vinegar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, yeast spiciness, and light herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart cherry, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, plum, red grape, fruit skin, lemon, green apple, red wine, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, lightly toasted bread, light funk/vinegar, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, red grapes, earthy hops, and moderate bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/spiciness balance, and zero puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/tangy/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy/tannic, and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is an excellent fruited sour ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/acidic yeast, red grapes, earthy hops, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink for the ABV, with the mellowly lactic/tannic/drying finish. Really awesome balance between Lacto, fruit, hops, and malt flavors. Solid sourness without being overdone. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Aug 2017
at 17:54
6.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 5
12 oz bottle shared at DCLawyer’s sour tasting. Clear purple with off-white head. Aromas of malt, dark fruit, toasty notes. Tastes of dark fruit, malt, grains. Light body with a dry finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Aug 2017
at 19:13
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Pours purple with a white head. Aroma is must and fruitiness. Taste is kind of sweet. Lightly sour. Syrupy sweet. Not a huge fan but it goes down easy.
Tried
on 12 Aug 2017
at 16:52
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Dark red pour. Aroma of red grape, mild tart, vanilla and oak. Taste has vinous red grape, mild tart, oak, cherry and a sweet finish. Weird stuff, tastes a little like cheap red wine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Aug 2017
at 00:46
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle, purple pour with a short lived deep pink fizzy head. Big grape jelly tart aromas and flavors. Some woody musty notes. Would not have guessed 8.5% very drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Aug 2017
at 00:53
5.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle. A- Funk, barnyard, grape. A- Purple color, clear liquid, off white head. T- Funky, musty, grapes, red wine, tannins. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, slightly funky finish. O- Had no idea what type of sour this was going to be. At first sip it was obvious this was a fairly funky grape/red wine type of fair. Really just different. Not all that sour or tart. Lots of grape must and quite a bit of barnyard funk. Could use a lot more sourness. It works but it’s not my kind of sour.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Aug 2017
at 22:51
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6
12 ounce bottle. Dark purple color. Large foamy fuchsia head. Tart vinous malt nose. Interesting sour fruit flavor. Tastes like carbonated wine. Some hops in finish offer a bitter component. Overall, a unique take on the sour ale phenom.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Jul 2017
at 22:53