Beer Review: Vortex II

Reviewing the Vortex II from Pisgah Brewing Company. This bottle is two years old.
Score: 61

01/09 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/19/12. You can see my roommate in the background!

Appearance: Mostly opaque dark brown, almost black, color with red/caramel highlights at the top of the glass when held up to light. Pours maybe one finger of bubbly/creamy dark tan head that settles into a decent lacing. 3.5/5

Smell: Lots of tart berries fruit here, which is not right because this is a Russian Imperial Stout. This one has to be infected. Interestingly, however, the infection makes the aroma interesting for a sour ale. The front of the nose is a little pungently sour, but then it mellows out into a pleasantly tart berries and fruit aroma with some light chocolate in the background. 3.5/5

Taste: Taste confirms infection. This is now a sour ale, and not a very bad one either. Not puckeringly sour. Flavor is mostly sour berries mixed with light amounts of semi-sweet chocolate. Some tart fruit in there too. Finish is lingering sour berries. Gag reflex is triggered at some point as it approached room temperature. 2/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, high-medium carbonation. Sour, but not puckering, finish. 3/5

Overall: An infected Russian Imperial Stout turned into a decent sour ale while cold, but I did not like this warm.

Recommendation: I cannot say whether the beer is normally worth trying, as this is my first experience with Vortex II, but an infected bottle is not worth seeking out.

Pairings: Chocolate cake (the infected berries and chocolate flavor would pair well).

Cost: Unknown.