Cascade Sang Noir - Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.83/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The last reviewer has half spot on, reminded me of RR Consecration, but much less better. Growler complements of Thorpe429 and Dr. Abmuh.

Pours a hazed, dark brown ruby with a transient, thin head of tan bubbles; not much lace or retention. Nose as dominated by vinegar and tannins, cherry, vanilla and light acetic notes. Red wine and cherry are forefront in flavor with an underlying acidity and oak with mild vanilla sweetness. Medium light body, soft carbonation, acidic finish; this was adequately sour and fruity but not on par with Consecration. Easier to obtain bottles are welcome, but I'll be too lazy to bother with ordering any based on this sample.

Serving type: growler

05-27-2012 21:04:50 | More by yourefragile

mdfb79

New York

4.25/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 02/11/12 notes. Big big thanks to drabmuh and Thorpe429 for sharing a growler of this one. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a reddish brown color with one to two inches of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of sour dark fruits, funk, wine, tart cherroes, oak, tannic, acedic notes. Smell has no real bourbon to it, but it's nice and sour which I love.

t - Tastes of oak, lightly sour dark fruits, light wine, earthy notes, and light bourbon. Taste is not as sour or funky as the nose; a step down for me.

m - Medium body and high carbonation to it. Acedic body.

o - Overall a very good wild ale, probably one of the better ones I've had from Cascade. Has an awesome sour nose to it, though I didn't get much bourbon at all. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: growler

02-16-2012 03:16:05 | More by mdfb79

drabmuh

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

At the time of this review, this is the #4 top beer on the "Top Beers - American Wild Ale" list, top 5 beer on a competitive list, awesome.

Growler shared at a local tasting, this beer is very reminiscent of Consecration from Russian River, perhaps not as heavy but my first and last thought was very consecrtation like.

Beer is dark brown / amber hazy with a thin lazy head of tan small bubbles, no lacing, some carbonation. Looks fine.

Aroma is cherry, sweet, no bourbon, oak, some wine. Lactic, tannic, mild vanillic, and mild acetic acid nose.

Strong beer, thin to medium in body, sweet mildly up front with a winy, oaky, finish, decent throughout. Great beer but not Earth shattering.

Serving type: growler

02-14-2012 17:13:48 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to barleywinefiend for snagging this longtime want and getting it to drabmuh and I, thus setting up the Cascade sour tasting. Served in a Cascade Barrel House goblet.

Pours a mostly-clear crimson color with a short off-white head and a bit of lacing as it goes down. Thin collar throughout. Really a nice color.

The nose starts out with plenty of red-wine notes and lactic acid on the first pour when it's quite cold. As it warms, the cherry starts to come out along with a touch of oak. I'm not sure if whiskey-barrel portions are still used in the blend, as I don't get much of that. (Side note: I wish that were stronger, as adding a bit of Bourbonic to a shot glass of this made it even better.)

The flavor takes the components to the next level, creating a more-complete beer. The red-wine notes are still strong and work really well with the acidity from the lacto. The cherries complement those characteristics perfectly. A bit of oak in the background rounds things out. The Pinot and light oak tannins combine beautifully with the acidity to produce a fantastic mouthfeel. Light with good carbonation and a brisk, acidic finish.

Overall, a really solid beer. I had waited a long time to be able to grab this one, and it delivered. At the same time, I think it could have been a truly great beer with a bit more whiskey character in the blend, sort of a Cherry Adam from the Wood with red wine and acidity. Still, a very nice beer that I would love to have again.

Serving type: growler

02-12-2012 16:29:34 | More by Thorpe429

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is ruby to copper colored with a small, quickly vanishing head. The aroma brings sour cherries, bourbon, oak. Smells tart. The flavor carries more oak and is tannic in nature. The bourbon is there, but cherries and a tart sourness are the primary flavors. Acetic finish with some alcohol presence. Similar to Russian River Consecration, a beer of which I am very fond. Very tasty. Overall, I am very glad to have tried this.

Serving type: growler

02-11-2012 22:26:34 | More by Huhzubendah

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Thorpe, Humbard & Geist for this rarity.

Pours a reddish brown with a thin white head. Smell is a great mix of red wine and oak. Flavor follows the nose, great mix of sour and red wine flavors, pretty similar to Consecration. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, this is a very nice beer from Cascade, but not quite worthy of the high praise it has received.

Serving type: growler

02-11-2012 22:19:29 | More by starrdogg

camil1mj

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared by Tjohn241 at our local tasting last night from a 500ml swing-top growler. Served slightly chilled in my Darkness snifter. The growler gave a nice carbonation "pop" when we opened it.

A: Deep crimson red. Like the skin of a fresh cherry. Little to no head.

S: Wonderful sour cherry smell.

T: Cascade does not disappoint. Wondeful mix of cherry, sour and sweet flavors all in one.

M: Light bodied and refreshing.

O: I have only been let down by Cascade once, and this is not it. Another homerun.

Serving type: growler

01-20-2012 17:59:02 | More by camil1mj

Treebs

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by pmoney. Served in a FFF teku.

A: Pours a dark ruby color with a light tan head forming on the pour. It recedes to at thin ring that leaves some soapy lace behind.

S: Tart cherries with some light hints of bourbon. Sharp vinegar aspect to it with a oak barrel as well. Medium sweetness from malts run across the nose.

T: Cherry pie filling with tart cherry skins. Lactic sourness with some zingy vinegar notes. Sweet barrel finish with a combination of oak, vanilla and light bourbon.

M: Medium to light bodied, alcohol is well hidden with a zingy finish.

O: Sort of like a black cherry warhead in a sense with a less intense sour pucker. Zingy and tart with some sweetness from the barrel. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 12:57:36 | More by Treebs

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared thanks to Darrell (durwoodx), thanks for sharing! 2011 vintage.

The look is nice, it has a deep crimson look to it, very small ring of white head. Inviting look.

Smell is good, but not great to me. I get the cherries, a bit of oak, and then a hefty amount of funky cheese. For me it really has a ton of blue cheese/Camembert cheese to me, doesn't pop with lambic or wild smells but not bad.

The taste has a huge rush of sour cherry and vanilla/chocolate swirl ice cream, huge vinegar rush a t the back of the flavor that opens to a sweet corn type flavor. A ni mid flavor spiciness evolves with each sip which is nice, the flavor doesn't linger other than a vinegar type tartness that is palate numbing in some ways, feel is carbonated and decently bodied.

This beer is good but not great compared to the great sours out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:19:10 | More by Dreadnaught33

SadMachine

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +6.9%
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

sweemzander

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks for the bottle Jason!

(A)- Pours a deep deep burgundy red color with slight purple plum edges. Some good white froth formed but dissipated quickly.

(S)- Very ripe and vibrant acidic oak with ripe berry-like fruits. Quite jam-like with cherry, berries, and cassis fruits with some very subtle vanilla graham cracker oak on the finish as it opens up.

(T)- Quite the sour bomb! Very sour and acidic oak dryness but is balanced out very well with some serious jam-like dark fruits: blackberry, boysenberry, cherry, and cassis.

(M)- A great carbonation level amidst a very hefty sourness level. I love how juicy the fruits get in this with in combination with the nice presence of the dry oak really makes this so enjoyable.

(O)- A superb showing of what fruit, oak, and sourness can do together when blended expertly. So very sour, but so very good and welcomed with the incoming of warmer weather. Very easily my favorite Cascade to date!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 16:54:44 | More by sweemzander

Jonada

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml 2011 project 9.2% ABV. Served in a Russian River stemmed glass

Appearance: Pours a deep red/amber brown color with about a finger of a very light tan head. When held up to light you can see lots of champagne like carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass. Head retention was strong with quite a bit of lacing.

Smell: Lots of sour cherries, balsamic vinegar, stone fruits, oak, red wine. Some bourbon is present in the nose, but just barely. If I didn't know better, I might mistake this for a Flanders Red.

Taste: Sour cherries, oak, vanilla, tobacco, red wine, black licorice. Aftertaste is a really interesting mix of bourbon, cherries and vanilla with some red wine character as well. Really complex. Sourness is on the lower end of high.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Despite the amount of visible carbonation in the glass, it feels much less noticeable in the mouth. Finishes dry with a slight gentle warming as it goes down.

Overall: One of the best sours (and best beers for that matter) I've had the pleasure of trying. This is an example of the art of barrel aging at it's finest. Despite the high price tag, I'll definitely seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 21:55:36 | More by Jonada

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark red-black with a finger of frothy tan-khaki head. Fades normal.

S - Sour cherries, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, Brett and other sour and funky yeasts, lactic acid, caramel malts, a touch of brown sugar, and some other dark fruits.

T - Sour cherries, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, caramel malts, Brett and other sour and funky yeasts, lactic acid, other dark fruits, brown sugar, a hint of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sour and warming finish.

D - Really nice sour beer. Great balance of sourness and barrel character.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 01:27:06 | More by ngeunit1

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.49/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle form Rutager, 750ml into a tulip.

Deep blood red, light tan head with good lace and nice retention. Nose is bourbon cherry pie, sharp acidity, oak and cherry pits. Harsh acidity, but the bourbon smooths things out. Taste has light bourbon, oak, an intense sour cherry blast, tart, acidic, and more cherry pits. Finishes sweetish, but tartness prevails. Rich, intense cherry character, and a lovely malt profile. Medium full feel, lasting finish. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 18:38:52 | More by liamt07

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cherry attack, following an invitation of funk and cherry in the aroma. A lasting head and spider lace. Above average mouthfeel. Mild acidity, its nothing compared to the sours we had today. A pretty perfect beer.Great and dangerous. drinkability.Liam's bottle, thanks!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:23:25 | More by northyorksammy

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at Smoke & Barrel DC, for the dc bottle share. From notes.

An amber to deep orange body, quite cloudy without much head presented.

Nose has a nice sense of mild fruit, that really goes to crab-apple territory. Highly dominating crab apples with a good tart sense. Not much else, but it's at least a good nose.

The crab-apple tartness does come off quite big in the palate but not overboard. There's some nice mild buttery mixing in the mid palate with the apple which hits really nicely. Some subtle funk notes come off on the finish also. Feel is about par for the course just a hint of wet but easy drinkability.

Overall it reminds me of a bit of apple butter character and a toned down Weyerbacher Riserva. Still decent even for a one tricky pony like sense.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:15:09 | More by smakawhat

Gmann

New York

4.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a pretty ruby color that turns brown around the edges. The tan colored head is short and airy, settles into a light ring.

The aroma starts off tart from the oak wine barrel. The bourbon barrel then comes through to mellow out the sharp acidic notes. All the while, the cherries provide a nice fruitiness to the brew and another layer of sourness. Complex and enjoyable.

The taste is of super tart cherries and lemon sourness. The wine barrel is strong providing a healthy oak flavor as well as some white grape. Some earthy caramel and vanilla notes from the bourbon but that doesn't hold a candle to the sourness. Not a huge sour fan but I can drink this as a change up.

The feel is light with fairly soft carbonation. Sweet, sour, and tart on the palate with a big dry finish. I am good for a glass but the dryness might get to me.

A very well made sour, just wish I was more of a fan of the style so you can probably bump my grade up a notch.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:14:05 | More by Gmann

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This beer poured out as a clear looking reddish color with a foamy white head on top. The retention is thin and not much lacing. The beer has lots of carbonation. The smell of the beer is tart, oak and sour cherry aromas are subtle but definitely in there. The taste of it is also sour, some sharp cherry notes in the fading aftertaste. The mouthfeel of the beer is clean and tart, nice high level of carbonation that dries the beer out. Overall it's a good brew. Not typically my style but it's a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 19:46:08 | More by Knapp85

Philousa

California

4.2/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark brown that appears clear and cranberry red against the light. Head is thick khaki and looks silky, with some sticking on the glass. Cherries, strawberries, and vinegar dominate the nose with hints of oak and dark chocolate. This smells rich. Vinegar dominates the palate from start to finish. Cherry, red currant, and pomegranate make an appearance as well. The sourness doesn't make you pucker much and the bitterness is lasting and warm, fading slowly. There is some oak in there that is apparent to anyone drinking, but its not overpowering like many oak aged beers tend to be. Feel is slightly watery with a balance finish tending towards dry.

This beer is really balanced in flavors with the vinegar sourness and lasting bitterness sticking their necks out among the other flavors. The oakiness is there but not over the top. In addition, I can't detect the high ABV at all and the buzz comes slowly, as this is a sipper. I was strangely underwhelmed, but then I realized it's because there is no one stand out feature due to the balance nature. I wouldn't age this too long, as the oak will fade completely.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 18:12:17 | More by Philousa

jvillefan

California

4.66/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep ruby colored with a deep ivory white head.

S: That awesome sour aroma that comes off a well made sour. Similar to sour apple and deep malt.

T: One of the best sours I've had. There is a pleasant sour flavor of sour apples and berries. There is subtle caramel malts in the background.

M: A tiny bit thin but very well carbonated.

O: Awesome sour beer. If you are fan of sours this is a must get.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 17:32:53 | More by jvillefan

Murrhey

Montana

3.85/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap at Cascade in a 2oz taster. Reviewed from notes.

A- Tiny white head, fades to a ringed one. Red-brown color with nice clarity.

S- Bourbon notes with heavy cherry influence. Sour, but not strong and acrid. Nice smelling beer.

T- Very sour and some bourbon, barrel-aged notes. Strong beer. Tasty.

M- Fizzy carbonation, dry finish.

O- Lovely beer. But not as amazing as the score would make it seem. Maybe I just need more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 19:21:12 | More by Murrhey

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a reddish cola color with a reasonable brownish head. Not gonna lie, this looks like Dr. Pepper.

Smells fruity and tart--red wine, sour apples, berries, some oud bruin type ketchupy sweetness, whiskey on the finish. Predictably complex and enticing.

Flavor is lots of sour green apple, cherries and blackberries and other fruit, tart red wine. Whiskey is lighter than in the nose but still present. Extremely complex and pretty darn sour, also a decent sweetness to balance it out. Biggest single flavor I get is green apple. A beer with this much going on could easily be a big mess, and other Cascade experiments have been a little sloppier than this, but this beer is delicious and the complexity just makes me want more.

Mouthfeel is good, nice carbonation but not over carbonated like Cascade beers sometimes are. Very drinkable, the complexity of the flavor just makes it more drinkable too.

Awesome beer overall, definitely the best beer that Cascade has bottled so far. I'd drink this all the damn time if I could.

9.3/10

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:08:42 | More by AlexFields

codysjb

Florida

4.69/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a wine glass. Nice full red color.
Smelled great, lots of cherries and some minor bourbon notes. Tasted amazing, slight sourness and bourbon on the front with a more distinct sour and cherry notes rounding out the finish. Cherries throughout. Amazing, for sure the best American sour ive ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 18:57:47 | More by codysjb

MasterSki

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle shared at John Laffler's last day at GI. Thanks to ChrisPro for ordering this for me. Served in a small pint glass.

A - Big tan foam settles to a thick collar and thin cap, leaving behind spots of lace. Hazy milk chocolate colored body.

S - Surprising balsamic note, considering Cascade is supposed to be an all-lacto souring program. Vinous, oaky, with light cherries, and a bit vegetal character as well. Some flavors from the base beer include caramel, nuts, chocolate, and licorice. Don't get a ton of whiskey to be honest.

T - The taste delivers a bit more of what I expected, with tart cherry, lactic sourness, and lots of oak. There's a mild dill and herb flavor that I sometimes get from beers with extended barrel-aging times. Again, red wine and balsamic vinegar and some of the sweet base malts round out the flavor profile. No alcohol presence at all.

M - Medium body, lower carbonation, and moderate and gradually intensifying acidity. No alcohol heat that I can perceive, and unsurprisingly quite dry and tannin heavy.

D - A solid dark sour that's sufficiently complex, but doesn't really blow me away. I'd certainly have this again if offered, but I'd take Russian River's dark sours over this pretty much every time.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 18:41:04 | More by MasterSki

dbc5

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle poured into Southern Tier Pumking Tulip.

A: Somewhat "dirty" looking browish/ruby red with a pillowy 2 finger head from a moderately vigorous pour. Head recedes but leaves a nice frothy ring around the glass that sticks around.

S: Smells tart and slightly sweet. Definitely picking up the cherries in the nose, as well as some apple and vinegar aromas. It is very subtle, but I'm picking up light hints of bourbon as well.

T: Sweet up front with a great cherry presence. The initial cherry sweetness gives way to a tart, dry finish. Slight vinegar. This one leans more to the tart and acidic side as opposed to the funky side, although some minor funk is present. Again, picking up some slight bourbon character in the form of toffee/caramel mid swallow.

M: Moderate carbonation. Given the sweetness and overall "size" of this beer, it is unsurprising that it feels a bit thicker in the mouth than some other sours.

O: Great sour. Certainly among the better I've had the pleasure of enjoying. There are some interesting complexities to it that aren't found in many other wilds.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:25:07 | More by dbc5