Sorry for the Racket | Young Blood Beer Co.
When you say certain breweries names, you immediately think of certain styles. Russian River – West Coast IPAs and wine barrel-aged sours. 3 Floyds – aggressive hoppy beers and Dark Lord. You get the point. When I think of Young Blood, I think of dank and drippy IPAs (thanks Young Blood social media team) and fruited sours. I honestly did not know they made any stouts as I’ve never seen one from them. That was until I saw Sorry for the Racket on the shelf, which I naturally grabbed.
Sorry for the Racket immediately goes against two other things I’ve grown accustomed to about Young Blood – the can and the name. The colored rays emanating from the brewery logo are gone, replaced by a majority black label. The beer name also doesn’t go as crazy as some of their others. I’ll never forget Boone’s Farm Related Scar and Tiny Vin Diesel, but Sorry for the Racket doesn’t stand out as much. The top of the label reads “Cherry Stout,” when in fact it’s an imperial milk stout with cherries, almonds and chocolate at 10.1%! (I honestly thought I’d be drinking a 5-7% stout!) I gotta read that label better!
The Beer
Sorry for the Racket pours a caramel brown color that becomes a very dark, milk chocolatey brown when sitting in the glass. Two fingers of what I’ll call Dr. Pepper head – brown but with some reddish tints – forms and, much like the soda, quickly evaporates to nothing layer by layer. Swirling it around in the glass will bring some head back as well as a bit of alcohol stain. This is when I figured I was drinking something greater than 7% ABV!
Sorry for the Racket comes out swinging with sweet cherries filling up your nose. A certain nuttiness follows that I know are almonds only because it’s on the can. A slight wisp of vanilla shows up as well along with some root beer or sarsaparilla notes. Surprisingly, the chocolate doesn’t hit big on the aroma. It comes off as more of a bitter baker’s chocolate more than anything else. Surprised by the root beer aroma though!
Apparently Young Blood knows how to make a milk stout, as Sorry for the Racket rides that tongue smooth and creamy-like. Most of the sweetness gets relegated to the lips, while a sweet cherry note and some nuttiness star as flavors. It seriously drinks like some cocktail that has Amaretto and cherries in it. Neither flavor overtakes things allowing the base beer to shine a little.
Once again the chocolate seems to be missing in Sorry for the Racket. It stealthily show up, however, at the very end of the sip, imparting some bitterness that cuts any sweetness it might have. Do not look at this beer for a chocolate bomb. You should, however, be very afraid of its 10.1% ABV, as this drinks closer to 6% than anything else. Like I finished my can and wanted more in less than a half hour fast.
That insane drinkability gets a boost from the mouthfeel which stays medium throughout. A nice amount of sweet cherries and nuttiness linger on the tongue. The chocolate provides just enough bitterness that keeps you going back for more. The cherries and almonds never get to be too much, staying moderate and just peeking out every so often.
Verdict
Shit did I finish this can fast. And yes I’d purchase another. It’s insanely easy to drink and the additions hit just right. I never got tired of the cherries or almonds; they remained present while the milk stout did its job. I could see this being a disaster if too much chocolate (or even sweet chocolate) were present, but that bitter chocolate keeps the entire proceeding in check.
Sorry for the Racket honestly reminds me of their sours. Yes, it’s fruited and a little bit sweet, But damn if those flavors aren’t there and you just keep drinking. It’s nice to know that Young Blood isn’t just sending their hazy and fruited beers down to Chicago but their entire portfolio. If you see a Young Blood beer on the shelf and you like the adjuncts or the combination of adjuncts, grab it. You will not be disappointed and you will be drunk (at least in this case).
