Commercial Description:
There were a lot of balls in play. And heavy lifting. You see, in relatively short order, Bruery Terreux had become quite robust, especially since the build out and launch on April 22, 2015. We had amassed a substantial amount of filled barrels, from seasonal releases, one-time treats and cherished smaller batch experiments. The art of the blend beckoned, and we had our pick of the litter (or would that be herd?) For such a mysterious beer that became known around the office as Juggling Walruses, Tart of Darkness was the perfect place to begin, making up the highest percentage of contributing barrels. But it wasn’t just Tart of Darkness as you’ve come to know it. About two-thirds of the barrels were wine barrel-aged Tart of Darkness; and the other third of the oak barrels from the sour stout were particularly young. Black currants were added to all these barrels, introducing a less familiar fruit to our lineup, with a darker hue and new nuances to the sour beer flavor profile.

When blended with the other oak barrel and bourbon barrel-aged beers that were carefully selected for this blend, Juggling Walruses exhibits dark fruits, roast and char on the nose, with vinous notes and oaky characteristics weaving through flavors reminiscent of midnight foraging for berries in the forest.

==Introduction==

Released to the Bruery’s Reserve and Hoarders Society, this brew is a Cuvee of different aged ales. I think the reference to the Juggling Walruses came from the fact that they had to move so many barrels around. The barrels themselves do kind of look like big walruses so with moving the barrels around are like them trying to juggle the walruses. Good Game there Bruery. Anyways, the fact that this is a sour and a bourbon barrel aged is really intriguing as there are not that many out there that are like this, except ones like Burbonic Plague which was similar. These unique beers truly show some of the best a brewery has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Grape Wine notes, Milk Chocolate, Dark chocolate, dark fruit plums, figs raisins, boysenberries, Concorde grape skins, marshmallows, dark chocolate, port wine, chardonnay, raspberry liqueur, anise, hibiscus flowers, Black Currant Yogurt, Dark cherry yogurt, brown sugar and coffee notes.

Flavors:
Tart Concorde grape skins, coconut hints, oak, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, toffee, molasses, Dark fruit plums, figs raisins, boysenberries, marshmallows, smores, pecan pie, Black Currant Yogurt, Dark cherry yogurt, currant cheesecake, Milk Chocolate, Dark chocolate, port wine, wine grapes, chardonnay, raspberry liqueur, anise, hibiscus flowers, biscuit bread, coffee notes, mocha, toasted buttery bread with currant spread.

Aftertaste:
Super dark fruit medley and berries, oak, bourbon hints, rich wine notes, and funky dry finish. No alcohol in the taste despite this being 10% ABV. Dark Brown Full body, silky, smooth and effervescent mouthfeel with moderate drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional sour. The balance of the malty bourbon and the wine sour and fruity notes work so damn well. This is an example of the way my favorite sours go. Sweet and sours. People that don’t like sours but love strong beers will get a kick out of this one. With so much going, I can see why the Bruery spent the time composing this Cuvee together. Highly Recommended.

Anime Corner:
Aisha Clan Clan from Outlaw Star was used in this pairing since I wanted to use her for a beer review for a while now but especially a Bruery one. The reasoning behind this one was based on the colors of the label but also the aspect of juggling and needing strength to carry these barrels around. Kind of the way they describe it as Juggling Walruses. Aisha also represents the colors and complexity of the beer.