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Tart of Darkness

The Bruery
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🌍 USA · Fruited Sour · One of 31 Fruited Sours in hopIQ

Tart of Darkness started as a low-strength stout soured with wild yeast and bacteria in barrels that had held Black Tuesday. The 2026 edition reworks the recipe: the sour stout is blended with Black Tuesday, rested in bourbon barrels and finished with raspberries and vanilla. Inky dark under a thin brown foam, it opens with tart fruit, dark chocolate and soft vanilla, then moves on to bright raspberry and bittersweet cocoa. The body is medium, the acidity lively and the finish long.

ABV
8.1%
Bitterness
Mild
SRM
golden5
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Medium body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Soft bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

Crisp and dry.

A trim frame with a clean break — the beer says what it needs to and moves on.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Fruited Sour.
No character signal.

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Tart of Darkness

◎ Appearance

Deep inky black under a thin brown foam head that recedes quickly, leaving minimal lacing on the glass. The beer presents near-opaque clarity, characteristic of a stout base, with minimal light transmission even when held to a strong source.

deep blackthin headopaque

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with bright tart fruit and dark chocolate, underscored by soft vanilla notes from bourbon barrel aging and vanilla finishing. Wild fermentation contributes a characteristic funky complexity that sits beneath the sweeter, more approachable top notes of raspberry and cocoa.

tart fruitdark chocolatewild fermentationbourbon vanilla

◐ Taste

The palate opens with lively acidity that frames tart raspberry and bittersweet cocoa, balanced against a medium body that avoids heaviness. The sour stout base provides structure without overwhelming; Black Tuesday's richness melds with the bright fruit and soft vanilla into a cohesive whole.

lively acidityraspberry tartnessbittersweet cocoamedium-bodied

◑ Finish

The finish extends long, with tart fruit and subtle chocolate lingering alongside a gentle warming from the 8.1% ABV. Residual vanilla and a whisper of oak provide dry closure without astringency.

long finishdry closurelingering fruit
85
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
86
Appearance
82
Finish
84
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Tart of Darkness

Serve at 6–9°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 6–9°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass
Recommended for this style

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Tart of Darkness

About Fruited Sour

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Fruited Sour?

Fruited Sour is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Fruited Sour

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same flavor character as Tart of Darkness will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Fruited Sours in hopIQ

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