Category Archives: Wild Ale

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Blackcap Raspberry

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries. 2016 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) House of Sour. This Northwest sour ale is a blend of wheat and blond ales that were aged in oak barrels with blackcap and red raspberries for up to 14 months.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy deep reddish maroon colour with a less than one finger pinkish head that faded quickly while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, jammy, raspberry, oak, grape skin, with notes of cherry and apple cider vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart, raspberry, blackcurrant, sharp, acidic, lemon juice, a touch vinous, and woody oaky notes.
Mouthfeel: Sharp, acidic, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Like most Cascade wild ales, there is sharp acidity, but in this case, it wasn’t overwhelming, and balanced a bit by the sweet raspberry. This was enjoyable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Elderberry

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in oak barrels with elderberries and spices. 2015 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) House of Sour. This Northwest sour ale is a blend of red ales aged in red wine barrels for up to 25 months with elderberries and spices.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber dark brown colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, plum, prunes, mixed dark berries, cherry, raisin, with light vinous and cinnamon notes.
Taste: Sour, moderately sharp, tart, vinous, mixed dark berries, blackcurrant, grape skin, blueberry, oak, raisin, with notes of vinegar, and other spices.
Mouthfeel: Moderately sharp acidity, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Flavours are nice, but the feel may have been slightly too sharp with a lack of balance, which didn’t make it as easy to drink as it could have been.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Sang Noir

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 9.9%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in bourbon and wine barrels with cherries. 2015 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) House of Sour. Sang Noir is a blend of select red ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels with Bing cherries for up to two years.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy dark maroon colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, mixed berries, acetone, oak, wood, with slight balsamic notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, caramel, oak, wood, mixed berries, grape-y vinous, with very light notes of bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Not getting much bourbon, but there was an enjoyable complexity about this beer with a good blend of fruit and wood. At 9.9% abv, the alcohol was well hidden. This was definitely one of the better Cascade beers I’ve tried.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Casey Brewing & Blending, USA, Wild Ale

Casey Funky Blender Raspberry + Cherry

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Brewery: Casey Brewing & Blending
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Heritage / 4 Cherry blend

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries + cherries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, Heritage raspberries and 4 cherry blend, bottled in 5th May 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice slightly hazy ruby red colour with a two finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly but eventually settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet candy like raspberry and cherry, oak, with a hint of funk and acetone.
Taste: Sour, tart, raspberry, cherry, oak, acidic, with slight notes of lemon and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved the look and the aroma. Flavours were good, but perhaps slightly too acidic towards the finish, but still, it was enjoyable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA, Wild Ale

Crooked Stave Serenata Notturna Blueberry

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Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: American Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Mixed fermentation Belgian style Golden Ale aged in oak barrels with blueberries.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.8
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in January 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy murky reddish brown colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Funky, oak, vinous, herbal, mixed berries, blueberry skin.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, blueberry, oak, lemon, herbal, brett, leather.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Hides the 12% abv well. And while there is nice blueberry and oak notes, there is also this flavour that didn’t fully integrate, that I’m going to describe as ‘herbal’ but not exactly herbal, as I don’t have a better descriptor.