Cascade Bourbonic Plague - Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

ehammond1

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Tap

Beachwood BBQ
Seal Beach, CA

Dark brown nearly black with a thin khaki head. Lots of spotted lacing down the glass.

Surprisingly not particularly aromatic, though I'm happy to say the other features of this beer make up for it in spades! A muted combination of bourbon and sour notes make up the aroma, but nothing is leaping out, even after warming.

This is quite the journey. Never before has a beer changed so drastically from start to finish. At first, this is a sour porter, with hints of roasted malt and chocolate coming through, along with sweet fruits and biting sourness. Then, after swallow, a new, delicate, earthy, woody bourbon flavor fills the mouth and stays and lingers. Magnificent!

Medium bodied with low carbonation.

A spectacular beer and (like with many Cascade offerings) like nothing I've ever tried before.

(I'm looking at you, The Bruery! Time to bourbon-barrel age some Tart of Darkness!)

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2011 01:08:31 | More by ehammond1

Halcyondays

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a ruby plum brown with a mild white head, fair retention, no lace.

S: Bourbon dominated, vanilla, some dark fruit.

T: Dates for sure, prunes and figs. Very much a dark fruit flavour. Some molasses and nice acid on the back end.

M: Heavy feel on the palate. A full-bodied beer for sure. Quite smooth, light carbonation. Light acid.

O: A nightcap beer if you will from Cascade. Good flavour, I like the dark fruit character. Clearly enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 03:11:53 | More by Halcyondays

Shmeal

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at the Cascade Barrelhouse at 6PM.

Appearance - dark as night with a creamy white head. Head was roughly 3 fingers but dissipated after a few minutes.

Smell - heavenly with some fig, vanilla, and malts

Taste - absolutely incredible. All the qualities of a good big stout with a nice sour punch in the middle. vanilla comes through on the finish as you exhale

Mouthfeel - very smooth and creamy. Much lighter than I was anticipating

Drinkability - Extremely drinkable, this could have would have gotten dangerous if it wasn't for the fact that I had to drive afterwards

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2010 04:03:52 | More by Shmeal

muchloveforhops3

Oregon

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

My first review (which I feel is definitely long-overdue). Here it goes...

On tap at the Cascade Barrel House, during the bottle release of Bourbonic/Vlad; from notes (10/16/10).

Pour: Served in a small chalice; deep brown in color, with just a little bit of light penetrating through it; a tiny off-white head tops this brew off..

Nose: The aroma is of medium strength, and consisting of sweet cinnamon, oak, dark sugars, dark fruit, and vinous notes; mildly lactic; smells pretty good..

Taste: A delicious blend of sweet and tart dark fruit, overlapping lightly roasted malts, and smoothed out by vanilla and oak; bourbon, vinous flavors, and cinnamon really come out in the warming finish; awesome..

Mouthfeel: Light-to-medium bodied, with medium carbonation; a perfect match to the flavor profile (I think a fuller body would be overkill)..

Drinkability: Drinks well, considering the high ABV; however, I'd be lying if I said the alcohol didn't detract from this aspect a bit..

Overall, a solid brew that very much stood out to me (which is the reason I wanted to make it my first review). I look forward to having this again...

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2010 08:28:28 | More by muchloveforhops3

digita7693

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Cascade barrel house

A very dark, stout like, slight red color on the edges, very slight tanish white film of a head

S nice mix of spices, bourbon and sourness... kind of a strange combination, not sure what to think

T This is something different. tastes of a full bodied red wine, with some oak notes, vanilla and a splash of bourbon with some sourness to it. its somewhat port like with a hint of stout. very unique, yet delicious

M/D good carbonation, easy drinking. Very drinkable, but not sure I could take more than 1 or 2 at a time

Not sure what to say, one of the most unique beers I have had, absolutely delicious and confusing, is it a stout, a sour, a port? apparently it is all of the above and wonderful

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2010 14:51:03 | More by digita7693

TulipSnifter

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer is dark with amber edges and it has no cap.
Smell: I smell a lot of alcohol.
Taste: strong alcohol, sour, hint of prune, complex.
Mouth feel: This is a very strong beer.
Drink ability: This beer is good to sip but I couldn't drink much of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2010 23:54:46 | More by TulipSnifter

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the barrel room today. Beers like this just leave you shaking your head in wonderment.

BP pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The beer looks pretty nice, but it wasn't until I dipped my beak into the glass that I started to understand the mystique surrounding this beer. The nose is incredibly complex in this beer, showcasing dark fruit, light sour, dark chocolate, mocha and a hint of bourbon. This beer smells great, no doubt, but then I took my first sip. Mama mia is this yummy! On the palate, the bourbon is much more prevalent, and it marries well with the dark chocolate, wine flavor, dark fruits, vanilla and light sour. The combination of flavor in this delicious beer is amazing. Also, while there's some sweetness to this beer, it's balanced incredibly well by the dark fruits, wine flavor and light sour. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, with a very long, very smooth finish. As I've come to expect with most Cascade beers, the alcohol is very well disguised, and always seems much less than it actually is. Based on what I experienced on the palate, I would have thought for all the world that this was a 7% or 8% beer, instead of the 12% listed on the menu. This gives one the foolish impression that they can drink a fair amount of this great beer, which really would not be a very good idea.

In any event, this is just delicious stuff, and is clearly a very special, well crafted beer. Yummm!!!!

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2010 23:08:20 | More by johnmichaelsen

Elendinn

Oregon

5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Barrel House -- served in a snifter.

A - deep, deep, deep red; vinous, like a pinot noir, save for the carbonation. No head to speak of and very thin, tan lacing around the edges.

S - bourbon dominates the nose, followed by vinous grapes (reminiscent of pinot noir), a port-like sweetness, figs, dates, wood, and hints of vanilla and spice.

T - potent, tannic red wine -- pinot noir or cabernet sauvingon. Bourbon makes its presence known, though never overwhelmingly so, followed by a hint of vanilla; the cinnamon is faintly present in the backend, along with other spices. The vanilla and cinnamon become more perceptible as the beer warms, transforming it from a dry red to a port.

M - fair amount of carbonation, which is good, as it would've been syrupy otherwise. Full-bodied.

D - considering its similarities to wine, it's incredibly drinkable. Quite possibly the most complex, most exquisite, best beer I've ever had. Perfection.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2010 18:17:48 | More by Elendinn

elliot23

Montana

4.83/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A. Poured into a snifter at the Barrel House. Great color for a sour. Super dark, almost like a cup of coffee. Redish hue to it as well. Looks great.

N. What a nose. I can't keep my face out of this one. Lots of dark fruit. Some cinnamin and vanilla in there. A small touch of alcohol, but pretty mild considering the abv. Some bourbon and oak can also be pulled from this as it warms.

T. Amazing on all fronts. Very aggressive beer. Really unique. Never thought I'd have a barrel aged sour porter. Lots of oak and vanilla in the taste. I can also pull out some strong dates in there as well. A little dark cherry and some alcohol finish round this one out. Amazing how the 12% abv is hidden though.

M. Pretty full for a sour. Good carbonation as well. Pretty warming on the mouth. Good stuff.

After one glass I can feel it. To be expected though. Goes down dangerously easy though. Can't wait for bottles of this one!

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 01:00:40 | More by elliot23

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This arrived to my wifes and my table at the Cascade Barrel House today right after Vlad. Poured into a mini snifter, this beer looks like medium bodied coffee with some deep ruby edges. A thin wispy snow white ring on the edges tells me that this is indeed carbonated. No lacing is present.

Again on the nose I'm getting lots of vanilla similar to Vlad. Dissimilar to Vlad, I'm picking up on prunes and dark chocolate. Sweet carrot cake with some dark liquor make this interesting.

Wow does this have some serious bourbon notes! Sweet cherry, bitter grape skin, and soured coffee role all over the palate here! The alcohol never goes away nor does it try to hide! I like it!

Mouthfeel is thinner than Vlad and more in line with how I like my sours to feel.

Drinkability is oh so good. Whole 750's are gonna disappear with ease when this comes out in bottles!

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2010 06:16:26 | More by hopsbreath

djbreezy

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Barrel House. Just a little taste.

appearance - dark brown, no head or lacing

smell - vanilla, fruit, spice

taste - oak flavors, sour, cinnamon, prominent vanilla bean, maybe some chocolate snuck in

mouthfeel - well carbonated, medium body for 11.5 percent, slightly dry finish

drinkability - highly complex, enjoyable, quite unique

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 21:14:13 | More by djbreezy

Docer

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap as a taster at their new barrel house... as I was having too much fun enjoying two full size glasses of some others....

- Nice mocha head, silky, stuck around a bit over a nice dark molasses looking brew... brown, mysterious..

- Wonderful sweetness.. oak, bourbon, even a butterscotch or buttery rum scent... light tartness... earthy... light funk..

- My oh my what a tasty number.... like Ron said... it's a nice After dinner brew or morning.. I could drink this stuff all day.... light grains, cocoa... earthiness.. butterscotch, buttery candy.. tart porter qualities... all blended so well.. this brew is a masterpiece....

- Light bodied, slightly syrupy sweet... but yet very well carbonated....

- A must have! Very easy to drink.. can't taste the alcohol one bit really... as it is a potent number.... so good.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 20:41:24 | More by Docer

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Day 1 at Cascade's brand-spankin' new Barrel House - a squat goblet poured right to the 8 oz. fill line.

Listed on the menu at 12% ABV

A: The dark brown porter base makes this look like, well...a dark brown porter. A filtered ruby glow glints a little, look closely and you'll witness the tiny carbonation streams. Broken khaki film fails to cover the whole glass, receding to a slim ring and leaving small specks of lace.

S: An odd layering of aromas; unfortunately the first is diacetyl, our buttery/butterscotch 'friend'. Once the initial waves pass, the scent is more tart, showcasing dark fruit, vanilla and spice. An oaken sweetness catches up as the pour warms.

T: A boldly tangy mouthful, earthy and tart fruit, bourbon-soaked. Flavor mimics lemon-lime at times, candy/caramel apple sugar, then more and more vanilla. Ends with an odd herbal grassiness; a drawn-out beer that needs some contemplating between sips. Not sure I love it, but it definitely pushes the boundaries of 'interesting'.

M: Puckering, tongue-twisting and cheek-tugging intensity initially, then a strikingly smooth creaminess beneath. Medium body, barely-present alcohol warming.

D: I'm not gonna say I won't have this again because surely I will. For a beer this 'big' it sure does go down smoothly, though one pour is plenty. At $6.50 for 8 oz. (which isn't a factor for 'drinkability', but is worth noting) I'd be lying if I said I liked this better than some of the less expensive and larger pours of standards like the Apricot or the seasonal Goses. Oh well, to each their own. Certainly worth trying, but not a beer I'm compelled to rush back to.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 20:12:07 | More by msubulldog25

Diomede

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted at the Portland Int'l Beer Festival.

A: Dark brown color, finger-esque head, translucent opaqueness.

S: Sour wildness meets bourbon. Wow. Crazy aroma. Some dark cherry, some bourbon.

T: Very interesting...bourbon-y with sour undertones. Some oak on the tongue, a very unique profile.

M: Very nice on the tongue, not too heavy, not too light.

D: If not for the 11.5% abv, I could sip on this all night. Very pleasing beer, another winner from Cascade.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2010 06:31:13 | More by Diomede

womencantsail

California

2.73/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at Stone Sour Fest

A: The pour is a dark red/brown color with very minimal head on it.

S: The nose is full of butter, bourbon, and alcohol. A definite lactic tartness to this with some hints of dark fruits, but the alcohol and butter are very strong.

T: This has to be the booziest sour I've ever had. Way too much bourbon, making the flavor slightly solventy, some oak, and again: butter. Raisins, vinegar, lactic tartness, and even some sweetness.

M: The body is medium with a decent level of carbonation, a slight pucker inducing sourness and a lot of heat.

D: What is the big deal with this one? I'm guessing that previous barrels/bottles might have been better, but this one just missed the mark.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2010 02:56:17 | More by womencantsail

Overlord

California

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very pleased to get to try this at Stone sourfest! Thanks for putting on a great event, Bill.

Pours a dark brownish mahogany. Light tan crust. Surprising amount of sediment .. bit crazy, actually.

It combines wine-y, date/raisin, grape, and lingering bourbon with a nice background lactic punch. I didn't think this beer could possibly turn out good given the mixed heritage, but it really was quite special. Must have taken a lot of work to get the sour/dark fruit, lighter sweet notes, vinous oak touch, and bourbon to integrate. Extraordinarily complex, nice lively mouthfeel despite its stocky pedigree.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 06:39:40 | More by Overlord

jdense

Oregon

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

PIB, one of the 'mystery beers', went on tap at opening Friday and was gone in an hour!

One finger light tan head, quick dissipation with minimal lacing. Dark brown opaque body, some visible carbonation, some reddish highlights. Pronounced and deep barrel presence, very complex nose, dark stone fruit, cherries, plum-like esters, little if any hops. Taste mirrors the nose, very complex yet in perfect balance, picked up some chocolatey notes, a bit of tobacco, some horse blanket, one very funky beer. Mouthfeel is medium, not sticky despite fruity characteristics, minimal effervescence leading to a fairly dry finish. My understanding is that the base beer for this blend was a sour porter, interesting. Very drinkable, especially for the style and ABV, alcohol well hidden. Another world class sour from the mad ( :) ) scientist, Ron Gansberg, truly deserving of all the awards and accolades this beer has received. Can't wait for the bottle release next month. Absolutely superb, for fans of Wild Ales and Sours, an essential, and sublime, drinking experience.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 16:57:49 | More by jdense

wethorseblanket

California

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Stone Sour Fest. One of the top highlights of the Fest. Pours dark amber brown with a fine tan head. Smell is complex with wild, sour, woody, stone fruit pits, cherry, and slightly sweet notes. Taste is even more intricate with a mild sourness, oak tannins, leather, slight tobacco smoke, sweet and dry. Tart in the back on the finish. Mouthfeel is smooth, full, and a little boozy with some tangy zip. Overall, just loved it. Should have gotten more, but too late, all gone.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 02:38:25 | More by wethorseblanket

slaintemhor

Oregon

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Bailey's Taproom's anniversary in August '09. The colour was very dark brown with only a thin head. The nose was one heck of an acetic sour puss (and I mean that in a good way!). On the palate, WOW! Sweet and lightly cloying with loads of citrusy sourness that makes me scream for more. Woohoo!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 04:15:02 | More by slaintemhor

Floydster

California

4.93/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled at the brewery with Ron and Curtis, thanks again for the awesome hospitality guys and pulling this stuff straight out of the barrel, excited to try a sour porter and it did not disappoint in the slightest, reviewed from notes, color is a dark brown with some dark red edges, no head or lacing here, aroma consists of a large amount of bourbon, roasted malts, cherries, lacto, oak, cocoa,, and sour accents, flavor starts off with a nice warming bourbon welcome, immediately falls into a complex mix of sour flavors with cherries leading the way, interesting how the tart and roasty accents from the tart mix, finish has is a bit creamy with vanilla and chocolate rounding out the bourbon flavor which again melds with sour berry flavors and adds some crazy complexity, warm, tart, roasted, and slightly sweet, very interesting mouthfeel, medium to full bodied, could drink a good amount of this stuff considering what it was, do not know the ABV but it seems pretty high although you cannot really taste any of it, smooth all the way to the finish, would like to drink again and look forward to seeing what others think about this one, like nothing I have had before, this one is sure to turn some heads, recommended

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2009 19:35:52 | More by Floydster

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at his tasting.

2009 vintage.

Pours a murky brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt and bourbon aromas. Taste is much the same with fruit and bourbon flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:31:31 | More by UCLABrewN84

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 bottle

A - pours an opaque very dark brown, a little rose color at the edge against the light. Gushed a little bit on opening. A medium pour produces about an inch to an inch and a half of loose large bubbles, dissipates to a very thin crown of bubbles.

Smell - kind of muted. Definitely bourbon, red wine, oak, sourness, touch of vinegar

Taste - damn good. Up front there is a big kick of bourbon, then the wine barrels, then the dry oak and sourness. It was interesting how perceptible and separate each of the flavors were. Finishes super dry with tannins and oak.

M - changed over the course of each pour. The first sip was a blast of wild carbonation, but letting the pour sit for 30 minutes, it flattened out to a very creamy low-medium carb. Didn't get syrupy like a lot of sours do for me.

O - If you like bourbon and sours, you'll like this beer. This was the first beer I'd had where the complexity was really pronounced as very separate and distinguishable flavor profiles. It really was a lineup of flavors that came and went distinct from each other. Not something I would want every day, but something I would gladly buy multiples of. I've never had this fresh, but I have to think that 3.5 years of age did it quite well.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 03:49:16 | More by Beerandboards

brystmar

New York

3.88/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from 2009.

Loud pop from the cork, mild gusher. Brown body, manila/tan head, super stubborn head and lace. Truly beautiful appearance. Tons bourbon in the nose, mild vanilla, more vanilla, traditional Cascade sour yeasty aroma.

Bourbon-forward on the palate. Dark fruits, mild spices, no vanilla, plenty of bourbon. Pretty tasty, but I'm not a bourbon guy at all. My bourbon-head buddies were gushing (pardon the pun) over this stuff while I merely enjoyed it. Pretty good, though I prefer even the "regular" Cascades (kriek, apricot) over this.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:06:23 | More by brystmar

zhanson88

Montana

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big ups to Rbald42 for popping this one open.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with maroon highlights. About 1" of tan head forms, which has very nice head retention. Very nice looking wild.

Smells of dark fruits, general tartness and lacto sourness. Not a ton of barrel in the smell or sourness that is necessarily easy to pick apart.

Taste: Dark fruits and slight roast initially, followed by lacto sourness and tartness. Some wood and slight bourbon character shine through on the finish. Definitely easier to tell the elements apart on the palate than on the nose. Very nice.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Very creamy sour with ample carbonation. Maybe a touch heavy for the style but a nice feel nonetheless. Overall, a very unique sour that I would have again for sure. Not my favorite sour but nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 03:05:24 | More by zhanson88

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one was a part of cmrillo’s 40 Beers* @ 40 Birthday Bash! Shared by BRoss242! 2009 Vintage! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured dark brown with a one finger khaki colored head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, dark fruit, chocolate, wood, and tart. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, sour, tart, and wood. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I really found the chocolate aspect on this one to be quite surprising if I am honest. While it worked well with the brew overall it didn’t seem like it was necessarily needed in my opinion. Definitely worth your time to try this one if you haven’t done so before.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 10:48:28 | More by thagr81us