Cascade Sang Noir - Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

Impfan

Washington

5/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The last reviewer was spot on when he said it reminded him of RR Consecration, but better.

Amazingly bright and lively nose of bing and sour cherries, pinot noir, slight hint of bourbon, horse blanket, Brett funk, and a vague but pleasant spiciness.

The flavor is intensely sour cherry and pinot, with subtle, and beautifully integrated support from the bourbon barrel aging. More dark fruits emerge as this nectar is sipped, and there is the same delicate spiciness that was in the aroma. There is a gluhkriek quality to this wild beauty that is softer, and more complex than any spiced kriek I've ever tasted, and an immediacy to the flavor that few beers can emulate.

I'm off to my gourmet beer shop tomorrow to buy them out on this happy birthday weekend.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 22:37:30 | More by Impfan

RandyKemka

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours a dark redish brown with light highlights.

Smell: Very nice cherry. Deep, profound fruit smell

Taste: Sour and lots of cherry up front, heavy sourness, then a creamy sourness and oak finish.

Consistent flavor throughout, but delicious. Grapefruit pith, cherry, heavy sourness. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Very tart. Good carbonation with a very pleasant feel.

Overall: I love this sour. It has lots of oak, and a solid fruit flavor. A winner. And a beer that I can justify paying the $25 a bottle for.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 19:19:11 | More by RandyKemka

elliot23

Montana

4.93/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On draft at the Belmont Station.

A. Darkness, far darker than I had expected. Real deep ruby with a brown and gold hue in there at certain times. Wasn't expecting this color. Pretty cool looking sour. Nice lacing off-white head.

N. The nose is strong of Brett, oak and dark malty sugars. A lot going on here. Sour cherry and tartness really dominates here in addition to other dark berries.

T. Wow! This one is tart in the most perfect way. Full flavors of sour cherries, currants, yeast and some barnyard funk. Oak barrels, a little chocolate and bitterness on the back end. Amazingly complex all the way through. I'm sure that I am missing something here... Oh yeah, I don't notice the high ABV at all.

M. A perfect amount of carbonation. Sour, sweet, and highly refreshing. A medium bodied beer that was well enjoyed. Wait, this beer was 10%?! One of the easiest to drink beers of that high of ABV ever.

D. I was sad when it was all over. Wish this one was bottled. One of the best wilds I have ever had. And one of the best beers I have ever had for that matter. Fantastic beer from a great brewery!

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2010 05:08:08 | More by elliot23

kitty66

Washington

4.93/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this near the opening of the barrel house. Amazing that this beauty was part of the supporting cast, they really brought out the big guns for the new brewpub.

Blended gets a bad vibe, but this ruby lady puts that notion to rest. Cab / Oak / Whiskey / Beer / Sour / Cherries ; these are all nice things delivered into one single glass. Who would complain ?

Delicious beverage - cannot really be called a beer anymore as it has taken on the characteristics of much more than just that.

Rock on Cascade - thanks Biscuit for the great barrel bevs !

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 03:27:58 | More by kitty66

notchucknorris

California

4.93/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a deep chestnut color with ruby highlights. A huge foamy mocha colored head takes a while to go down and leaves huge streaks of lace.

S: Smells absolutely amazing. It's all there, from the cherries to the bourbon to the pinot barrel. I pick up a trace of bourbon first, then a big whiff of ripe red cherries and caramel. Some definite wine barrel as well.

T: A nice lactic sourness upfront that's chock full of sour cherries, cherry pit and vanilla. A touch of bourbon before a finish that's long and ever changing. Pinot noir barrel, red delicious apple and some tannins on the finish. So freakin good.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 20:31:50 | More by notchucknorris

ccrida

Oregon

4.9/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On draught at the lodge, served in a cervoise, Sang Noir with a small tan collar.

Smell is gorgeous. Bright lacto and dark malts bring a very nice sweet tarts aroma that is just amazing.

Taste is great as well, very complex and a pleasant different from many of their other wild ales due to the dark malts. Big sourness, cherries, chocolate and lime tonic water.

Mouthfeel is oily and slick, sliding down like an oyster but with nice carbonation with swished. Medium bodied.

Drinkability is insanely good. This is their best beer I've had yet. I'm a big fan of sour darks, and this one really kills it. The intense flavor hides the strong ABV, making this one potentially very dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2010 20:12:09 | More by ccrida

somabeer

California

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip glass at Toronado. It's a very dark ruby red almost opaque with pink head, little lacing. Smells heavy of dark fruits. The Taste is delicious, very tart. It has lots of chery, fig and raisin flavors but is not sweet at all, mixes in well with the wood flavor from the barrels. The mouth feel is very pleasant, with just enough carbonation to make this go down smoothly. It's crazy how smooth this beer is for 10% abv

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2010 08:41:05 | More by somabeer

Shanonbanana

Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on-tap in a snifter at the Cascade Brewing Barrel House

A- Deep red mahogany colour with a hint of chestnut around the edges. Light cream coloured head which dissipated almost immediately.

S- A strong aroma of cherries hits the nose initially. A sharp hint of whiskey rounds out the scent.

T- The taste opens with sour cherries, accompanied by rich grape flavours, likely from the pinot noir barrels. Alcohol presents itself lightly in the finish in the form of whiskey. A yeasty twinge indicative of a sour Belgian continues throughout.

M- Lightly carbonated, light body - lighter than the colour indicates.

D- I could drink this over and over and would still want more. It would be especially excellent on a hot day...with the sound of a mandolin being gently strummed and the slow, steady creak of a well-used rocking chair on a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2010 04:02:08 | More by Shanonbanana

staggerlee024

Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served on Tap at the Barrel House

A - Pours a deep dark crimson red with a thin lacing. One could get lost in the dark red colors.

S - Smells of dark fruits, sweet cherries and acetic tartness. Pinot and bourbon are present but faint.

T - Oh yeah. This is where it really takes off. Tastes of dark fruits, cherry and red wine are the major players here. The bourbon notes offer the perfect accompaniment. There is the standard cascade lactic sour bite. Possibly more subdued that some of their others, however. The bourbon and pinot barrels really tie this one together.

M - Medium body with a decent carbonation. Sour.

O - This beer will not disappoint. Absolutely fantastic sour ale. Similar to the RR consecration but better. The pinot and bourbon barrels add a unique and charming character to this beer. I have had the pleasure of tasting a 4 year vertical and this one really changes with age. Word is that they will be bottling later this spring. You will want to get several bottles - some for now and some for a few years down the road. One of, if not the, best sour ale made in America today.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2012 15:35:17 | More by staggerlee024

Docer

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Just had on tap at their new barrel house...

- Nice off-white bubbly head that stuck around a bit... over a nice reddish ruby colored brew... lacing all over the place..

- Nice fruity tart sourness.. currants.. light oak and bitterness... slight sweetness..

- Damn fine brew.. period. Currants galore.. not a hint of hot alcohol.. sweet grape, blackberry, fig.. plumb.. oak.. tart tart tart....

- Light bodied, perfect carbonation... mouth watering.

- One of the best sours I have had.. better than the others in the Sang series I think... though very close to the Sang Royale.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 20:30:40 | More by Docer

cfrances33

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle poured into a teku glass.

Pour: Completely hazy deep, deep red with some murky brown aspects mixed in. A finger of light tan head appears and dissipates quickly.

Smell: Wow. I get tart cherries, tobacco, leather, vanilla, a light bourbon, and a hint of funk. What a combination - and it's incredible.

Taste: Even better than the nose. Tart cherry with no hint of sweetness. Instead, sweetness is provides by a nice tobacco caramel, mixed with some vanilla and leather. A lactic acidity provides an amazing bite without being cloying. An oakiness rounds out the flavors and incorporates them together. This is exquisite.

Mouthfeel: I know some people say Cascades can be overly sour, but I love how tart this is. Carbonation is on point. The barrel aging provides a buttery smoothness.

Overall: One of the best beers I've ever had. The merging of bourbon barrel and pinot barrels in the aging process of this beer produced a whole new kind of beast. I will absolutely seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 16:27:28 | More by cfrances33

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cascade Sang Noir
2011 Project

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a very nice dark copper color with some amber notes. There is a 0.5 inch light ecru head that forms that is dense to medium dense that recedes quickly down to a thin film. The brew is nice. (4.5)

Aroma starts off with some nice tart notes. Slight vinegar notes with more of a tart fruitiness. There are some awesome cherry notes in the nose mixed in with the vinegar. Slightly sweet but also tart. Definitely some nice funk notes and some notes of oak. The Bourbon notes are slightly less noticeable than I would like. But the brew is still top notch in the nose department. (4.5)

Taste starts off with a sharp sharp tartness. It is mostly fruity but there is some slight vinegary notes to it. There are some nice woody notes and there is also some slight Bourbon notes. The bourbon notes offer some slight caramel notes and some vanilla on the background of the brew. The tartness definitely dominates the palette though with some nice cherry tartness and some slight sweetness. Nice wine notes as well with some slight acidity. Mouthfeel is light and refreshing. Very flavorful brew. (5.0)(4.5)

Overall this brew is a very good wild ale. The Cascade crew knows how to do them. There are some nice slight bourbon notes mixed in with intense tart notes. Great sour fruit with some slight vinegar and some nice cherry notes. There is a nice woody and tart finish with some nice wine acidity and tannin.(5.0)

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:31:40 | More by JoEBoBpr

WeisGuy

New York

4.8/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Belmont Station 7/14 for the Puckerfest Cascade event

a - dark brown color with a violet hue, half-inch ivory head with light retention and lacing, fairly cloudy

s - big tart dark fruit aroma, black cherry, blackberry, current, light oak and tannic hints

t - as with the aroma, the taste is dominated by multiple levels of intensely tart dark fruit, black cherry and current flavors are prominent, light sweetness from the fruit balances out the tartness a bit, as does a light dirty sock funkiness, lactic acid permeates the entire taste with oak notes rounding out the flavor nicely, a little heat is detectable on the finish, but the 9.5% abv is remarkably absent in the taste

m - medium-bodied, with carbonation on the lower side, fairly tart and dry finish but there is a light sweetness to make the beer a little easier on the palate

d - incredibly drinkable for a 9.5% sour ale, flavors are very complex and interesting, the booze is very well hidden and the tartness is prominent but balanced out relatively well with the light sweetness

Awesome stuff that I feel quite lucky to have tried a couple snifters of at Belmont Station. I'm more and more impressed with Cascade every beer I have. This was the standout of the evening with the other two beers at the event, Noyeaux and the Manhattan Transfer, also showing very, very well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2010 05:25:35 | More by WeisGuy

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours rusty brown with a off white head dissipating into a ring with moderate lacing.

The sour cherries stand out in the aroma although it continuously changed as warmed. Lots of oak character as well along with just a kiss of bourbon and vanilla. As it warmed, more tannins came into play too

Flavors starts out with a big heaping of sour cherries. The bourbon is present throughout, but stays well in the background. Some oak, tannins and vanilla characteristics came out more as it warmed. The warmer it got the more the pinot and bourbon barrels asserted themselves.

Medium mouthfeel with good carbonation levels. Alcohol is very well hidden. Had I not known different, I would've pegged this at 6-7%

Been looking forward to trying this one for a while and it definitely lived up to expectations. One of the more complex sours I've had, every sip was something new and delicious. The evolution of it from slightly chilled to room temperature was also good as different elements shone through more at various temps. Absolutely phenomenal beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 17:01:45 | More by jmarsh123

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 vintage, picked up at a bottle shop in Seattle. Tasted 26 June 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a deep nutty brown color, fairly clear but with a faint yeast haze, even with a gentle pour. A more vigorous pour yields a yeast-clouded glass (and a slightly different taste). One finger of yellowish head, good retention and very nice lacing.

Smell is full of lovely tart cherries. It has a very pleasant fruity sour aroma, not acrid at at all. Full, balanced, and potent.

Taste is fantastic. A wonderful blend of sour cherries, with a touch of sweetness for balance, that gently flows into a slightly mouth-puckering straight-up sour. I love the transitions, as the cherries and light sweetness fade away, leaving the acidity and sour to come to the fore. A very, very tasty sour, and one of the best I've had the pleasure of tasting.

Mouthfeel is just as it should be. Solid but delicate, with the high alcohol providing some lift. Carbonation is medium-high, as it should be for a sour (IMO), and keeps things dancing on the palate.

This is simply an outstanding fruit sour. It has a hefty dose of sour, but it's not enamel-stripping, and the real highlight is the balance. One of the best that I've had, and I really can't think of how I would improve on it. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 17:06:25 | More by zeledonia

djbreezy

Washington

4.78/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was lucky to be able to try the '07 '08 '09 '10 vertical last night.

appearance - dark red, amber, medium head, excellent retention

smell - complex notes of fruit and esters

taste - the 07 and 10 were very balanced, nice fruit characteristics on all, complex notes and bold flavors, various barrel notes, cherries, berries and some citrus, the 08 and 09 were significantly more sour and tart, the 08 was the most sour

mouthfeel - medium body, well carbonated, slightly dry

overall - great example of a sour/american wild ale, really nice to see the differences between the years, great beer

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 00:57:49 | More by djbreezy

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice rich dark deep ruby/garnet with a nice almost two finger wood tannin hue that fades to leave a thick, dense blanket and nice side lacing.

S - BIG aromas of grapeskin and wood followed by wonderful bing cherries. Tons of great cherry notes, nice and sour with some light funk.

T - Burst of sour cherries up front followed by tart vinegary wine notes (cause after all, vinegar is wine). That wood comes through great, the alcohol isnt too noticeable and the finish is a light flemmy throat type deal. Stuff is tasty. What brings it over the top is that light subtle bourbon notes. Absolutely wonderful.

M - Mouthfeel is really nice, the tart and sourness really pop with the lower carbonation. Very nice.

O - Overall this is a stellar wild ale/sour. The whiskey really adds something nice to this. The only downfall is how damn expensive this bottle is. That all said, its delicious, absolutely delicious.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 18:57:05 | More by rudzud

SadMachine

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Reviewed from notes from 5/5/13.

A- Pours a dark brown with ruby hues and a small off-white head.

S- The aroma is funky and sour. White grapes, tart cherries, fresh apple cider, and tart granny smith apples are all prevalent in the aroma. (My buddy who was drinking this with me jokingly said after smelling this "It smells like Jesus after he bathed in the Jordan."! Possibly the funniest thing I've ever heard in reference to the aroma of a beer!)

T- The flavor is nearly identical to the aroma with the super tart cherry and granny smith coming through as the primary flavors, and finishing with the apple cider and a dry, super sour finish.

M- The mouthfeel is near perfect for a sour, being light to medium bodied and moderate to high carbonation.

O- This is probably a top 2 sour for me to date! Absolutely superb, and hard to find flaws in unless you can't handle really tart/sour beers!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 04:53:35 | More by SadMachine

flagmantho

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from 750mL corked & caged bottle into a tulip. Really looking forward to this one!

Appearance: rich, dark amber hue with a big haze and a finger of frothy tan foam. Not much lace or retention on the head, but overall quite attractive indeed.

Smell: an intoxicating combination of sweet malt, tart acid, tannic wood and unctuous cherries. Damn, I almost don't want to drink it. Simply wonderful.

Taste: a similar collection of flavors as in the aroma, but balanced in an entirely different and equally wonderful way. Tartness and greenish fruit flavor off the bat, subsiding into the sweeter malt and a big, roaming fresh cherry flavor underpinning it all. This beer is just stupendous. Hot damn tamale.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a good level of carbonation and a nice creaminess.

Overall: for the sake of my wallet, I almost wish I'd never encountered this beer. I usually like cherry beers, but this manages to create a big and interesting natural cherry flavor without being candy-like at all. I'm gushing. This beer is great.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 03:07:55 | More by flagmantho

jdense

Oregon

4.73/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Raccoon Lodge 6.30.10, $5 teardrop glass.

1/2 finger tan head, good retention, reddish brown opaque body, trails of carbonation rising up side of glass, Nose is huge frickin' cherry hit up front, more sour than sweet, little if any hops, with oak notes becoming more prominent as the beer warmed. Taste is cherry domination, tart, funky, sweet, some oakiness, all in balance an incredibly complex tasting beer. Mouthfeel is fairly full, not a lot of effervescence, not sticky despite the sweetness. Drinkability is high despite the ABV, just a crazy tasty beer. Thirty months of barrel aging, along with the sublime blending of Ron Gansberg, one of America's best Wile Ale brewers results in this truly amazing beer. An absolute must for aficionados of the style. Very highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2010 18:17:44 | More by jdense

dirtylou

Washington

4.73/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on-tap, a number of times, most recently at The Yard

appearance: served in an unbranded 12oz chalice, rich dark garnet body, ~1" off-white head

smell: potent waves of tart cherry, bourbon, vinous oak notes

taste: one of the finest cascade offerings - layers and layers of tart and sweet bing cherries, diversified barrel aging provides notes of vinous pinot wood and richer bourbon, plum, chocolate. abv is really well masked

mouthfeel: tart, complex

overall: a great beer

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 23:21:26 | More by dirtylou

DovaliHops

California

4.73/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 Vintage. Pours a very murky reddish purple brown color with a medium yellowish cream color. Scent is quite acidic at first. Very vinous with a good amount of cherries and chocolate. Sweet dark fruits with a bit of funk, not a whole lot though. I'm very impressed with the chocolate-covered cherry aroma with a nice tart twist on it. Some brandy aromas as well. Taste is a pleasant acidic tart chocolate flavor at first, which turn to sweet/tart cherry. Such complexity to this beer. I am blown away right now. Nice bourbon.brandy flavors with oak and cherry. Reminds me of a quad with some oaky sourness. Outstanding flavor. Mouthfeel is slightly dry with a sweet, puckering finish. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this is an amazing beer from a brewery that continues to produce amazing sour beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 07:16:03 | More by DovaliHops

joefuzz

New York

4.73/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky brownish red with a small tan head.

Smells of cherries with a huge red wine presence

Tast is mind blowing huge tart cherries up with some plum that mellows out to a nice whiskey/wine barrel aftertaste with a sight alcohol burn

Mouthfeel is slightly thick like a good red wine except carbonated...very nice

Overall another amazing cascade beer...worth every penny

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:01:05 | More by joefuzz

ChrisPro

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Sourfest 2009 at Brouwer's.

Pours a nice black/dark burgundy with a solid tan head and nice lacing. At first, cherry and grapes dominate the sweet aroma with hints of blackberry. But as it warmed, a great wood began to dominate. This was a nice sweet beer balanced incredibly well with the sourness. This had a little wild carbonation but a nice long sour finish. As this got warmer, the beer became more and more complex as various flavors came out. This was the highlight of Sourfest for me (and I sampled it three times throughout the day to make sure) and one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2010 01:07:35 | More by ChrisPro

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750ml 2012 bottle.

A: Dark red/purple/almost black. Foamy white head that lingered for a while.
S: Classic Cascade acidity. Tons of lactic acid, tart cherries, sweet malts and a slight bourbon finish. Smells amazing and very inviting.
T: Lots of lactic sourness with a bit of vinegary/vinous notes. Sweet and tart cherries, apples, followed by oak dryness and a bit of bourbon sweetness. Tastes almost like raspberries/blackberries as well. Super sour.
M: Great carbonation with a medium body. Finishes dry.
O: This is possibly my favorite from Cascade so far. Glad I shared it though, I think the sourness could get overwhelming if you drink the whole bottle. Excellent beer though, I enjoyed it very much.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 16:15:38 | More by standardcherry