Cascade Bourbonic Plague - Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

Gfunk720

Connecticut

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

Bottle shared with my roomate, out of my Lost Abbey tulip.

A- Pitch black. Crazy amounts of foam, creeping up out of the bottle. The head is a khaki color, and there is no end to it.

S- Smooth red wine, lots of oak. Little bit of bourbony vanilla, but the lactic sourness is also very prevalent.

T- A beautiful blend of flavors. Smooth with a touch of bourbon at first, with strong vinous oak notes transitioning. The sourness is a great touch, and just the right melding of flavor. Some smoky porter hints as well, also some cinnamon and spice.

M- I thought this was going to be super fizzy, but it is just about right. Nice body, very nice transitional flavor.

D- I thought this was going to be a huge overwhelming beer, but its actually quite tasty. I really wouldn't think these ingredients would work together, but it blends so well. Cascade...just wow.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 01:29:38 | More by Gfunk720

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle split and poured into a tulip. 12.1% ABV, 2009 Vintage.

Yep, another Wild to TICKle my fancy. Thanks sweemzander! Beer #6 completed the night of epic proportions...

A - Bourbonic is dark black with clear brown highlights topped by a low tan head with decent retention for the pile of loose bubbles. Nothing great to see really.

S - Lightly toasted chocolate malts pair well with the great barnyard funkiness. Tart, cocoa, dark cherry, and mild yeast on the finish. Well-blended wild aroma that doesn't go too far. I like the nuances in this one!

T - Roasted black malts and cocoa with light bittersweet chocolate and an oak-like barrel flavor with some alcohol on the back end. Nice Brett funkiness comes in and spices the whole thing up.

M - Strong carbonation and a crisp, light finish with a tart, penetrating feel. Warm alcohol is felt in sensation both in the stomach and through retro-nasal breathing.

D - Nice and roasted maltiness is balanced by a complimentary Brett funk that takes the place of hops, this beer goes down pretty well for being as strong as it is.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 01:12:51 | More by BeerFMAndy

Swimsum

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Newest vintage (12.1%) that was split with a buddy and poured into Bruery Tulip. Random side note: cork was super hard to get out and wasn't a gusher (maybe Vlad's the gusher, can't remember). Some lacing is left on the walls but not a lot.

Pours out a murky dark brown color that settles very dark brown in the glass. Damn can see yeast floating around, be careful on your pour if you don't want yeast in this. A nice foamy tan head emerges on one. About a half inch in height. No light is getting though the body of this one. Head settles to about half initial size and is still nice and foamy.

Acidic and sour smelling up front. Subtle cinnamon with a noticeable vanilla smell. Some sweetness, probably from the dates, also comes though. Not as complex as I thought it would be.

The cinnamon comes much more forward in the taste than it does in the smell. This is also a very sour tasting beer but it is a nice sour, not mouth puckering at all. At times dates comes though in the taste and some alcohol heat as well. The smell may not be complex, but the taste on this one is. There are a lot of flavors going on here.

Lots of carbonation in this one. While it isn't thin it at times feels a bit thin but overall is a medium bodied beer. Carbonation bounces all over the mouth as this one is sipped and swallowed.

There is a lot going on with this beer. Perhaps at times that isn't a good thing but I really enjoyed this beer and am glad that I have another bottle. I will let that one sit for another year or so (at least that's the plan). If you get a chance to try this I strong suggest you go for it. Would get this again no problem.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 05:34:35 | More by Swimsum

Phelps

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed during a tasting with tlay10 and poured into a snifter.

Pours a cola-colored dark maroon with just a bit of clarity that coalesces to dark chocolate brown, very dark, with only lightly visible maroon highlights. A foamy two-finger head the color of reddish ginger and composed of tiny bubbles leaves a very sticky and substantial ring grabbing the glass with all its might. Fat streaks of bubbly lace and sheets.

Lots of vanilla in the nose, along with brandy, sweet dates, cinnamon, molasses, lots of toasty oak, light espresso, dark chocolate and a light lactic character. Very smooth, with a nice showing from the sweet fruits.

The flavor's a great mix of sweet dates, ethanol, molasses, brandy, vanilla and moderate yet perfectly integrated bourbon. If this is a double porter, I don't really notice. I do, however, pick up the vanilla beans, cinnamon and dates. There's a nice vinous oak character along with cola and brown sugar as it warms. Wonderfully complex. The brett character is a nice compliment to the other flavors, not overpowering.

Fairly fizzy, the beer falls apart as it moves about the mouth. The body is a shade above medium-light, with moderate carbonation. A bit of alcohol burn in the nose, but not much -- it's miniscule for what you'd expect from a 12.1 ABV beer. The soft body expands as it warms as well.

Tried alongside Vlad, this was obviously the better beer to my palate. More complex, nicely sweet, and the tartness is less out of control. Bomb.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 21:00:17 | More by Phelps

kfsv034

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really Looking forward to this one. First of all it was tough to get the cork out, I had to break out the wine opener to get the puppy off. Then it proceeded to foam up over and I lost probably 10% of the beer which sucked, but it could have been worse.

A - Pours dark brown with a nice tan head the leaves a thin line of head above the body all the way down the beer.

S - Lactic acid, vanilla, bourbon, some oaky/woody character and definite sour cherries as well as other dark fruits. Smell the alcohol on this one.

T - Dark Fruits especially sour cherry, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate. Upfront and assertive Lactic acid sourness and some lasting wood/oak dryness on the back end. Everything really works well together with this one.

M - Medium bodied, possibly alittle over carbonated.

D - Liked this one,really enjoyed it and wouldnt mind having another glass. Once again Cascade puts out another quality sour I'm really a fan of what their doing out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 03:28:07 | More by kfsv034

MrFootstones

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours with a mighty head that quickly
recedes, dark brown in color.

Aroma: Super well defined clean bourbon wafts
out, and then the random lactic sour smell comes, seemingly from nowhere. Smells great, but really kinda weird. Vanilla and brown sugar (dates?) come through.

Taste: Sweet n sour, oak, smidge of bourbon, but not to an overpowering extent. Brown sugar, damp oak, lactic acid. Super hidden alcohol, 12%?! Never would have guessed! So strange but I really like it.

Mouthfeel: Relatively thin and effervescent. Carbonation creates
percieved fullness, so it's not really a problem. Good for a wild ale, weird for a bourbon barrel beer. Buuut it works well for the beer.

Drinkability: Each curious sip invites another to see if you can find out what the hell is going on. Again, no hint of the 12.1% ABV, except for the buzz I seem to be getting. This beer is an enigma. A delicious, delicious enigma.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 06:37:40 | More by MrFootstones

sweemzander

Illinois

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

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a stemmed glass. Huge thanks to hopsbreath for this one!

(A)- Pours an almost dark opaque brown color. A minimal tan head that dissipated down to bubbles. Minimal lacing.

(S)- A rich profile. Raisin and dates with some sweet bourbon notes. Some dry hay and sour acidic raisin and dates.

(T)- Same as the smell. It is certainly rich with raisin and dates with a subtle sour and acidic aspect. It is quite nice though with the subtle sourness combined with the above mentioned dark fruits.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. A great balance of rich dark fruits and a smooth sour acidic character.

(D)- A richer, yet dynamic and unique take on the style. Sweet, yet still has a fitting acidic sourness to balance itself out. Obviously, their Vlad the ImpAler is rather different than this one, I far preferred this one since both were had in the same evening. Solid stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 20:17:57 | More by sweemzander

JohnGalt1

Idaho

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

Buckeyeboy brought this one over a while back.. Thanks Jeremy!!

A "fizzer" when cracked... hazy dark brown.. yeast flecked head... good lacing.

Nose is big bourbon and dark cherry sour... cocoa.. a bit roasty and some background acetic notes... really though despite the sour, the bourbon abides.

nice fruit and a bit too much roastiness.. the lactic sour really comes out and helps balance the bourbon and vanilla... Alcohol is very minor, yet present.. the dark malts and the sour fruits with barrels never mesh and make for a real mash-up of a brew... ruby port made my notes... Not enough "sour" for the big-ass bourbon qualities... but what do I know?

Jeremy hooked it up.. thanks buddy.

3.5/4.5/4/4/3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 10:54:59 | More by JohnGalt1

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Unfortunately a got a taste of this beer before I was ready. I had a about a 1/4 of the bottle gush out upon removing the cork. Into my mouth and down my throat went the beer in a fast and furious manner. Anyway, thanks to Khazadum on BA for this.

4.0 A: Opaque black color. Any of the the yeast that was in there got mixed in when it gushed. Two fingers of creamy tan head (once the carbonation came in control) with good retention and a good amount of lacing.

3.5 S: The wine comes through stronger than the bourbon. Usually I'm not a fan of the wine barrel aging, but this is good so far in the nose. Date aroma is there, but I'm not picking up much of the vanilla. Lactic acid is there in moderate amounts and acetic acid in smaller amounts. Woody with a mild tannic astringency. A bit of the toastiness of the underlying porter comes through.

4.0 T: The taste is both interesting and palate pleasing. Again the wine dominates the bourbon, but the bourbon comes through stronger the more the bottle is emptied. It's actually quite vinous for what it is. There isn't a lot of sourness in the taste, but there is some lactic and acetic acid with emphasis on the lactic. Again oak with a slight tannic flavor. Dates come through very strong with grape, plum, and prune fruitiness.

3.5 M: Medium body. Carbonation is a bit aggressive, but okay I guess. Good creaminess with a touch of astringency on finish.

4.0 D: Not too shabby for what seems like an unholy mix of grape and grain. I never expected a bourbon and wine barrel aged beer to surface, but it seem now that it can be done with a fair amount of success. This is a welcome departure from the more typical wilds and bourbon barrel beers and is something I'd like to see more of in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 19:31:03 | More by DavoleBomb

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:

After wrangling out the stubborn cork, We were greeted with a generous pop and lots of carbonation gasses which is always a good sign. On the pour this comes out a hazy milk chocolate brown color with just a thin tan colored head that faded away by the end of my glass. When I hold the glass up to the light there are some reddish hues around the edges and no yeast chunks. As I give a generous swirl there is a low amount of lacing.

Smell:

Bam! love this sour funk! huge nose of tart black cherries, sour lactic funk and sharp acidity. As my glass warmes a little bit there are some vinegar and cider notes that are peeking through. Some faint chocolate notes, very wine-esq , and oaky

Taste:

Wow, this makes me pucker up just a bit, very tart cherries, barnyard grassy flavors and funk. Lots of lacto & and brett running amok in this baby. Something like licorice and faint menthol is slightly in the finish with red wine, and cinnamon. Not a darn hint of the 11% ABV anywhere.

Drinkability:

This is a real sleeper because the booze can sneak up on you quickly. Drinks rather thin and goes down easily lots of bright vibrant fruit flavors mixed in with all of classic brown ale and porter flavors. Well done Cascade this is epic

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 18:43:11 | More by Bmoyer0301

jrallen34

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another big thanks to Sean for brining this pair...Pours a watery dark brown, semi clear, not overly attractive. Light tan head with some nice retention, spotty lacing...Aroma full of oak, spicy bourbon, acidic...Taste is lactic oak, almost reminds me of something infected, spice shows off predominantly too. The taste is less successful. A weird oaky finish that I don't like.

Decent, but nothing special at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 03:58:20 | More by jrallen34

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to PWoods for sharing this.

Holy hell of a gusher batman! The pop from the cork was deafening! Left my ears ringing while beer was foaming out the top of the bottle and we were capturing what we could in our glasses.
Pours a murky brown in color with some reddish highlights. When I finally got settled down to drink this beer it had about a inch of head left on it.
Smell was a bit weird. There was sour, some bourbon, some dark fruit. All these were recognizable in the flavor as well, but there was a good bit of oak and some chocolate coming through. I would have never guessed the base beer was a porter. At least I have never seen a porter that looked like this. Decent mouthfeel. This was just an all around weird beer, couldn't quite get into it.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 16:14:39 | More by FtownThrowDown

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

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

A: Dark brown hue, with an eighth inch of head that leaves some good lacing on the glass.

S: Sourness, cherries, booze / alcohol, oak, funk.

T: Ooo...this is different...I like it. A healthy level of complexity exists here in this glass. Intriguing and challenging, with flavors of oak, wine, cherries, bourbon, and funkiness. This daring beer walks a fine line between triumph and failure. I'm a fan.

M: Pretty smooth feel, notwithstanding the massively complex pungent blitzkrieg of funky, fruity booze.

D: While I do prefer Vlad the Imp Aler, I really enjoyed this brew. I love sours, even / especially ones that challenge the palate. This was a really fun experience. I'd happily drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 02:42:22 | More by Huhzubendah

craytonic

District of Columbia

2.6/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Shared with the dirty south crew

Appearance: Mruky red/brown pour, bit of gushing; big head. Cork did not want to come out.

Smell: Bit of a muddled mess; Sour with bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dark fruits. Too much roasted malt for a sour

Taste: Raisins, prunes, tons of cheap chardonnay-ish oak, messy and boozy

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, a bit too much carbonation

Drinkability: We didn't finish the bottle; not very impressive. I have really enjoyed many of Cascade's wild beers but this one was not one of them. Train wreck is a very apt description. Souring a porter of course didn't turn out well; if you told me they tried to make money off an accident I would believe it.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 01:30:15 | More by craytonic

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a snifter.

Pours a somewhat-dark brown color with a bit of a crimson hue. Slight retention as well as a nice cap as it settles down. The nose brings forward a sourness as well as some funk and oak. Strong lactic character. A bit of bourbon. The flavor is quite strong with some bourbon, booze, and a bit of a sour character. The flavor and feel have a bit of a strange astringency plus quite a bit of booze. Very odd indeed. I did not like this nearly as much as the Vlad. Probably my least favorite Cascade beer to date.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 00:05:34 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer shared by Thorpe, thanks. I hate the description of this beer on the info page because it makes me feel like I have no palate, I didn't pick up half the things they claim are in this beer I just missed them totally apparently.

Beer is brown and hazy with an off white head that tries so hard but doesn't get it done. Oops.

The aroma is very lactic, mildly acetic, I can pick up some sweetness in there as well....I think the dominant non-sour flavor that comes through is the bourbon honestly. Odd.

The beer is light but very complex in the flavor. it has some maltiness up front, some bourbon, heat (almost solventy) and some fruits. I would say in the long run the lactic wins but the alcohol is a close second. The danger with a big beer like this is that there can be some secondary problems with the mixing of high alcohol with a lot of acids. Can come across as off. This beer walks that line and flirts with the bad side but comes out ahead...slightly.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 21:57:34 | More by drabmuh

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 12/12/10 notes. Had at a local tasting thanks to Thorpe429; thanks a lot Mike!

a - Pours a mahogany brown color with a few inches of off white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of sour fruits, cherries, funk, oak, light wine, bourbon, roasted malts, and chocolate.

t - Tastes of sour fruit, spices, dark fruit, oak, bourbon, chocolate, roasted malts, and very light vanilla.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation, smooth body.

d - While I liked it and thought it was a good dark wild ale, it was no where near as good as Vlad the Imp Aler. I didn't think the flavors went together as well as they did in that beer. Still, a good beer with a unique smell and taste to it. I particuliarly liked the smell. Would certainly have again but I would trade a lot more for a Vlad.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 00:17:54 | More by mdfb79

Arbitrator

California

3.35/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Chilled 750mL bottle into a glass. A generous gift from ramnuts. Thanks, Frank!

I simply could not budge this cork. I wound up using a corkscrew opener on it.

A: A slow gusher out of the bottle. It settles into the glass with a purple-brown (puce) body and tan head. Good retention and nice curtains of lace down the sides of the glass.

S: There's an immediate whiff of dates from the bottle as I remove the cork. Lactic sourness, oak, roast, bourbon, and brown sugar. This has the signature Cascade smell that I associate with their various Flanders Reds. It's also vaguely buttery, which is not totally upsetting next to the bourbon, but it's not something I enjoy.

T: Bourbon is very noticeable, as are sweeter contributions from brown sugar and caramel. I don't really taste the dates, even though I smelled them. There's plenty of grape (wine, I suppose). Vanilla, too. As the beer warmed, cinnamon emerged. The finish has lactic sourness with a mild tannic astringency. It's also boozy, though I guess I'd expect that from a 12% beer. That aside, the flavors are well integrated.

M: Boozy. It's not quite solventy, but it's a bit harsh. Carbonation is high and foamy. I wound up swirling a lot of it out just to get the beer to drink better. It was taking away from the flavor. I am impressed by how it starts off sour, becomes sweet and creamy, then finishes sour once more. Very interesting.

D: In 2009, I had the opportunity to sample a different version of this beer out of the barrels at the Raccoon Lodge. That was better than this one, but you get an idea of what they were aiming for. This is a very interesting beer and is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 02:21:35 | More by Arbitrator

Gobzilla

California

4.55/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark murky brown with brown highlights that had a thin bubbly head and left a little lacing sticking to the glass. The aroma was quite intresting consisting of bourbon for sure but was a little subtle from the acidic character mellowing it down and had the bretty funky with slight oaky vinegar citrusy vanilla notes. To me it was a weird combo but had all types of qualities that I liked mixed together. The flavor was really tasty to me combining the sour style and bourbon barrel boozy style working very nice to accent each other. It had citrus vinegar notes meshing with the bourbon oak vanilla character but was tart and sour at the same time; Really great creation and blend. It did have the bretty funkiness but I didn't really get the cinnamon and date flavor too much. The brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a slight sweet but tart, boozy, citrusy, oaky, sour, and mild dry finish. It drank really good and would love to have another bottle of this masterpiece. The different qualities were well balanced and complimented each other regardless of the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 10:34:20 | More by Gobzilla

waltonc

Colorado

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

Opened this up last night with the connoisseur of all things premium, rare, and barrel-aged: bardwashrind.

Pours porter brown with tan head. Smells and tastes pretty great to me: a light tartness blends well with the bourbon and toasted malt notes, vanilla, cinnamon, and dates. I was worried that the cinnamon might be overkill, as I am not a big fan of it, but it is restrained and doesn't overwhelm the other flavor components. I imagine this beer may be a bit polarizing much in the same way that Old Dipsea with Brett is. If you're put off by the unusual combo of a darker, more traditionally malty style like porter or barleywine being coupled with sour qualities, then this may not be for you. But I think it's quite good.

Body is medium with lots of carbonation. I had a couple glasses of this and probably could put away a whole bottle on my own if called upon to do so.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 16:17:47 | More by waltonc

Jmoore50

Nevada

3.7/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was a train wreck of different flavors that I am still wondering about. So much going on in these bottles that my palette was overwhelmed. Even the description leads you to believe that this could possibly be a bad idea."This blend of strong dark porters was aged in oak, wine and Bourbon barrels, then blended with a dark porter that had been brewed with vanilla beans and cinnamon. The blend was then aged an additional 14 months on dates."

Once opened it pours a murky brown color with dark ruby edges. It has the possibility of having a very crisp white head, but it soon leaves because of the amount of high carbonation. It doesn't look very appealing to be honest.

I might just have a predetermined opinion on dark beers smelling lactic sour because of my bad experiences while home brewing, but this threw me for a bit of a loop. The first thing I could smell was the sour lactic funk coming from this brew. Then I could smell strong wine and vinegar characters as well. There was a bit of whisky in there as well but the vinous, oak, and dark fruit smells were pretty strong. Little did I know that ALL of these smells were going to be tasted in the beer.

The palette is overwhelmed with complexities that this beer has. Immediately there are strong notes of lactic sourness followed by wine like tannic dryness. There are chocolate and dried plum flavors as well as an overpowering vinous tannic feel. This is a very complex and unique beer that I am not so sure I was ready for. I do feel like the beer was pulling you in different directions and I wasn't sure what I was seeking. Did I enjoy the darker malts and chocolate from the porter, did I like the sourness and wine combination? So many questions with very few answers.

It was sour, thick, fruity, and confusing. A beer that expanded the limits of my tongue and mind, but not sure if I am enjoying them yet. A beer that made me think about what is acceptable and what is not.

A recommended beer for the brave.
J

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 06:29:04 | More by Jmoore50

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle broken out by jedwards. Pours a murky, reddish-brown with a half-inch, loose, cream-colored head that dissipates into a solid skim. Nose reveals citrus, dark malts and a trace of bourbon. Taste consistent with nose; however, more of a malty backbone than suggested by the nose. I also get a hint of dates in the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is light-medium, with a lively effervescence to the body. I am typically more inclined to light sours; however, I was pleasantly surprised by the drinkability, as well as the pleasant character imparted by the bourbon. Alcohol is extremely well-hidden, despite the 11.50% abv. It would definitely be interesting to see how this one ages.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 21:39:31 | More by Jwale73

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

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

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

12.1% ABV bottle

Poured into a Hill Farmstead tasting glass. The body of the beer is dark brown with a reddish tint. A thin off-white head covers the top, leaving some light lacing on the glass.

Lactic acid, vinegar and alcohol dominate the nose. Figs, prunes and cherries mingle in the background. Some oak notes, a bit of bourbon, but more weighted towards the wine barrels with the vinous qualities coming through more. An interesting aroma, but the high ABV lowers the enjoyment.

This is an intense beer. Lots of lactic sourness mixes with a rich chocolaty porter and vanilla. A touch of cinnamon and well developed wine barrels, which add fruitier, tannic, grape notes. Some light bourbon, but masked quite a bit by the wine barrels.

Mouthfeel has lots of crisp lactic sourness and warming alcohol. A fairly substantial body with good carbonation. A heavier American wild body than usual.

This was fun beer to drink. Definitely a heavy hitter and best split with 2-3 other people. Good sourness and nice barrel complexity. Probably the best soured porter I've had. However, I would have liked to have seen a bit more bourbon in this one. We actually had some BA Sexual Chocolate at the same tasting and we did a mix towards the end that brought out the bourbon a bit more and, in my opinion, took this beer up a notch. Either way though, I would recommend trying this if you like stronger wilds.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 04:21:04 | More by sisuspeed