The Bruery Tart of Darkness
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Tasting Notes
Tart of Darkness pours dark and leads with aromas of sour cherries, dark chocolate, roasted grain, and a hint of barnyard funk from the wild fermentation. On the palate, it's a genuinely unusual combination — the acidity of a sour ale meets the bitter roast of a stout, with tart berry and cocoa notes trading off against each other. The body is medium, drier than the dark color suggests, and the carbonation keeps things lively without masking the complexity. The finish is long, tart, and faintly smoky, with the lactic sourness lingering alongside residual dark malt.
About the Brewery
The Bruery is based in Placentia, California, founded in 2008 by Patrick Rue. The brewery built its reputation on Belgian-influenced and barrel-aged beers, and it runs one of the more serious barrel programs in the American craft scene. Their Reserve Society and Hoarders Society subscription clubs reflect a fanbase that tracks limited releases closely. Tart of Darkness is one of their flagship wild ales and has become something of a benchmark for the dark sour category.
Food Pairings
The beer's acidity and roast character make it a natural match for duck confit, where the tartness cuts through the fat and the dark malt echoes the caramelized skin. A dark chocolate tart or brownie plays into the cocoa notes already present in the beer without overwhelming them. Aged gouda works well because its crystalline, caramel-edged texture bridges the malt and sour components. A slow-braised short rib also fits — the acidity functions almost like a sauce reduction, amplifying the savory depth of the meat.
Style Guide
American Wild Ale is a broad and deliberately loose category defined by fermentation with non-standard yeast and bacteria — typically Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, or Pediococcus — rather than by any single flavor profile. The style originated as American craft brewers began experimenting with spontaneous and mixed fermentation techniques borrowed from Belgian traditions, then pushed them in new directions, including combining wild fermentation with stouts, IPAs, or other base styles. What separates American Wild Ale from Belgian Lambic or Gueuze is the lack of geographic and regulatory constraints — brewers are free to blend base styles, adjuncts, and fermentation methods however they choose. Tart of Darkness specifically represents a dark wild ale subcategory, layering roasted malt character under the sourness.