Cascade Blueberry Ale - Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

KDawg

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from tap into a tulip. Pours a nice cherry color with a nice small head.

Very berry driven aromas with tones of fresh picked berries, blueberries, and some violet aromas. Very aromatic and delicious.

Very silky medium feel and excellent flavors of tart berries, blueberries, violets and a touch of oak as well.

Almost a kriek and very tasty. Yet another great offering from cascade.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2012 01:45:29 | More by KDawg

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out mostly a purple color. Looked like it was more of a puree of different fruits, as this one looked like it was aged on blueberries and raspberries. Aroma, nice lactic tartness, not massively sour, but nice, good, displayed the fruit aroma decently, again, not necessarily something distinctively blueberry, but definitely fruity.

Taste, one of the milder Cascade efforts in terms of sourness, but the fruit was there. Nice light wheat body. Absorbs the fruit nicely. I really took a long time out by the pool on a near 100 degree Father's Day to drink this, let it warm up, was quite nice.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Had it again in late 2012, that batch, might be even better than the one I wrote the review for.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 20:50:09 | More by Beerandraiderfan

CooperEllis

New York

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This one hit all the right marks for me. In rating to style, I'm docking slightly for the lack of funky/sour in there but for a personal preference, I would take this over many higher rated Wild Ale's but can see where the detractors detract.

C&C 750ml into wine glass. From JohnGalt1, cheers.

Raspberry color with a whispy white head that fizzles.

Strong fruit in the nose, some tartness, almost no sweetness, delightful if a touch one-note.

Again, the taste was strong on the tart fruit, almost no sweetness and robust on the palate but there was something missing. Unsure if it's just because the flavors are subtle and so I missed what was there but the mild citrus and berry flavors complimented each other and were well balanced.

My bottle was quite carbed and that played a bit on the tongue with a good deal of fizz initially.

(182nd)

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 20:13:19 | More by CooperEllis

Gobzilla

California

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A.: poured fucia in color with burgundy highlights that had a nice fluffy pinkish head that left good lacing sticking to the glass.

S: there definitely was tart acidic qualities upfront on the nose with a mild fruity blueberry aroma, some oakiness, and citrusy characteristics.

T: had lots of blueberry flavor alongside oaky, fruity, citrusy notes, with mild tartness and a little acidicy as well. I did not like the fact that it had a weird pill taste at the end.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a fruity, oaky, acidic, and mild tart finish.

O: it was pretty solid all around but was not as sour as some of their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 23:37:37 | More by Gobzilla

dirtylou

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on-tap, reviewed from the Yard but have had numerous other servings elsewhere

appearance: served in an unbranded 12oz chalice, really a wild looking beer - a bright blueish-purple body, ruby hues, light off-white lace

smell: acidic and funky, tart blueberry, oak, floral

taste: i've also found the translation from blueberry to beer to be a little less seamless than some other fruits (cherry, raspberry, etc) - i'm not sure why this is, and maybe its just my palate. the cascade version is very acidic and packed with sour blueberry flavor. Perhaps its that the flavor seems to be derived more from the skin than the flesh of the fruit, which gives a more concentrated tartness and less true blueberry flavor. Either way, this is another winner, but is a class below the other bottled offerings

mouthfeel: lactic tartness, high acidity

overall: The blueberry is a tricky fruit - see for yourself

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 23:29:10 | More by dirtylou

ehammond1

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2011 Project)

Acquired via online purchase

Deep purple and light blue with a moderately sized, somewhat persistent light purple head that leaves streaks of lacing bubbles down the glass.

The aroma was quite funky initially and at colder temperatures: an earthy, barnyard, and body funk. But as the beer warmed and after some disturbance, the fruit shined through nicely and was complemented by the funk.

The flavor is quite exceptional, especially as it nears room temperature. The vibrant, juicy blueberry character is paired with moderate sourness and earthy, barnyard funk. Quite lovely, and incredibly drinkable.

Medium bodied with high carbonation.

Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 04:08:56 | More by ehammond1

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a fairly clear cranberry-red with lots of bubbles rising and a 2 finger pale pink head that lasts a while.

Smell. Blueberries and sour red berries, pears and apples.

Taste. Sour! Nice tart berries and fruit. A little bit of oak in the end. Yum!!

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium+ fine and lively carbonation.

Overall. Great sour beer! It has a bit of a sweet tartz candy thing going on. I'd gladly drink it again many times.

Thanks ArchEnemyBrew

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 02:29:22 | More by Rutager

MADhombrewer

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a stemmed water glass. 2011 vintage.

Appearance- Reddish plumb color. Small slightly pink head that ends in a film. Decent lacing. 4/5

Smell- Tart blueberries and some cherry aroma. I can smell little bits of oak and vanilla as well. 4/5

Taste- Tart cherry is the first flavor. The blueberry flavor is secondary. Good sourness to it. Not over the top but it is very present at the same time. Makes me want another sip. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel- Thin mouthfeel. Good carbonation. 4.5/5

Overall- Very good beer. I can tell that I am getting use to sour beers and enjoying them. Cascade is going to become part of my regular stops if they keep this up. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:40:01 | More by MADhombrewer

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

thanks to shep for this

pours a deep pinkish purple with a nice inch of so of deep pinkish head.

lots of oak on the nose, some faint tart berry.

again, very heavy on the oak. lightly sour. blueberry is faint to non existent. the oak dominates, at times i was picking up a burnt plastic flavor.

moderate carbonation with a light mouthfeel. some dryness.

this just never really won me over. i love cascade and everything has been rock solid but this just was lacking for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:23:40 | More by hooliganlife

Sean9689

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle broke out by me from the brewery. Thanks, me!

A - Pours purple/blue color, white head, thin collar.

S - Blueberries, tart blueberry skin, big lacto tart notes. Pretty straight forward here, lots of berries and lots of tartness. So far, so good.

T - Pretty much more of the same. Big berries, blueberry skin, oak, big tartness, fruity, and funky. Very mouth-puckering, to say the least, but in a very good way. Finish is tart blueberries and oak.

M - Light body, good carbonation, super-dry finish.

O - This is the poor man's Blåbær, and that is meant as a big compliment. Really enjoyed this one and glad I have a couple more bottle to enjoy throughout the rest of the year. Drink now, drink later, drink often.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 17:44:56 | More by Sean9689

FosterJM

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1267th Review on BA
Bottle to CCB snifter
750ml C/C

Thanks to JazzPatel for sharing

Shared with JazzPatel, Gurudel & MrHirschybar

App- A nice light mix of red, crimson, pink and yellows. Wouldve though the blue would come out more. Only a small 1/2 finger of head was there and then was gone quickly with a faint amount of cling.

Smell- I've noticed that I am starting to detect the wheat on sours before anything else. This was no different. This had a nice spitzy blueberry flavor with a little oak and some kool aid sugary notes to it.

Taste- This is one great beer. Light and refreshing and easy to sip on. The fruit is there in spades with a mild funk. Along comes the oak adding some earthy undercurrents and it closes with a bit of the sour.

Mouth- A almost medium body with an almost medium carbonation. A lite spirtzy feel with some good residual oak and fruit remain.

Drink- Better as this one warms up. Great layered flavors on this with a lot of fruit and a small sour. I like the smoothness and crispness.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 20:56:07 | More by FosterJM

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle.

Pours pinkish-purple with a pastel-muted pink head. The crackling foam fastly fades to whisps on the surface with tattered sheets of lacework throughout the glass.

Red, ripe fruits lead off the palate with a slightly bracing tartness and a lactic twang. Lemon-oil spritzed blueberries with some funky must. Vineous and fruity.

Light to medium bodied with a crisp, sharpish mouthfeel. Classic sour beer stylings, sharp as tacks.

Blueberry skins, red wine, lemon-rubbed hay, and kiss of balsamic start the palate. A tart introduction quickly builds to a drinkable sour, with the results found in the lower jaw. The blueberries are somewhat pronounced, and almost equal to the vineous, wine-like nature of the beer.

Finishes with a lingering sour note and quite fruity with no throat burn and red wine-steeped blueberries.

Tasty, tasty sour. The fruit will probably fade over time, so I would recommend drinking this one fresh. Nice job Cascade.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 02:28:35 | More by brewandbbq

claspada

New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a fantastic looking reddish pink color with a couple inches worth of light light pink effervescent head that settles leaving some spotty lacing

Aromas begin with brett must and some light "barnyard" essence. Then comes the expected familiar Cascade lactic acidic notes and the underlying fresh tart blueberries. The oakiness from the barrel treatment emerges more as it warms.

The tastes begin with the fresh juicy blueberries and vinous grape skin. Slightly sour, really tame at this point; lightly tart. A bit of oak begins to come through, and emerges more and more as it warms just like the aroma. I want to emphasize that the fruit flavor tastes like a handful of real raw blueberries, as apposed to the fake artificial blueberry candy flavor.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation; very bubbly at first, but as it calmed down, the mouthfeel got a lot smoother. Finish is fruit forward, but not sweet; lightly tart and dry.

Overall this is a very good brew that is perfectly fine/drinkable now but I can imagine will only improve over time as the sourness will increase and balance the fresh fruit forward flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 17:21:09 | More by claspada

sukwonee

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-Tap at Malt & Vine, Redmond, WA.

A: Purplish reddish bluish color ^^ Relatively small head, no lacing.

S: Not sure why, but there wasn't much smell to this. Some fruit, some funky yeast,,, but not a whole lot.

T: Delicious! Sour, tart, and refreshing! Blueberry is not overpowering (which is awesome), but it's definitely there.

M: Feels like drinking champagne. Medium to high carbonation, light-to-medium body.

O: It was what I expected and more. I will have to seek Cascade's other sours soon!

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2012 03:30:50 | More by sukwonee

PerHops

California

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Purple! Very little head, but visible carbonation. This is a weird looking beer! Especially because I remember it being straw colored on draft...

S- Funk! Not a whole lot of fruit on the nose, but the berries are present.

T- Sour! Ok there's more to it than that. Lots of funk, berry flavors, fruit forward, but not overly sweet.

M- Starts off jammy and tannic, but the finish is so bone dry and sour it works absolutely perfect.

O- Near perfection. So effervescent, fruity, but dry, stunning.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:42:14 | More by PerHops

largadeer

California

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear reddish-purple topped by a lasting white head. Great looking beer. Tart blueberry skin aroma, mildly sour with a little sweet blueberry flesh. Palate is balanced, mildly sour with a pleasant lacto character backing up tart and sweet blueberry notes. It's more skin than flesh. Very clean, light finish. Refreshing and enjoyable, but not overly complex. Thankfully doesn't have the stomach churning lacto character of many Cascade sours.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 20:55:18 | More by largadeer

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour sampled at mrbubbler's tasting courtesy of wethorseblanket.

Pours a slightly murky red with a white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of sour and tart blueberries and some funky aromas. Taste is the same with a very sour finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good sour beer with a nice blueberry presence.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:58:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from Cascade directly. Split with my brother-in-law.

Appearance – Pours a blue, purple color with about a finger of quickly dissipating off white head that leaves very little lacing.

Smell – Slight blueberry, hints of sourness, lactic, oak, tannic, must.

Taste – Kind of an off flavor up front. Not as much blueberry as hoping, slightly sour and tart though again not as much as I expected. A nice oak and wood flavor, mixed with grassy musty notes.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, finishes a bit dry.

Overall – Not as good as I was hoping to put it plainly. Less actual flavor than other Cascade sours. I hope some age will help this beer out.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 01:42:59 | More by SpdKilz

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this one on tap and from the bottle. I preferred the bottle, so I will review that one.

A - Pours a pinkish-purple with a few white bubbles on the edges of the glass.

S - Funky and tart. Not much of any fruit here.

T - Still pretty funky and tart, some slight blueberry finaly shows itself.

D - Another cascasde wonder. Good carbonation for the style and a nice thinner body.

O - How do they keep cranking out these amazing beers? Cascade I am glad I still get to visit you.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 04:36:37 | More by HuskyinPDX

xenjoiii

New York

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Founders Tulip.

A: The color on this beer is spectacular. A nice medium blue color with a pink hue.

S: Fresh crushed blueberries, funk, and a bit of oak.

T: A light sour zing upfront; followed by the emergence of sweet blueberries; the back end is left with nice oak characteristics. Very well rounded profile, taste-wise.

M: Very light mouthfeel.

O: I am very impressed with this beer and this bottle alone justified the purchase of the other three bottles that are sitting in my cellar. I enjoyed this beer so much that I put in an additional order for six more. If you're on the fence about this one, I suggest that you hop on it before its gone. One thing that I loved about this beer is the tamed level of sourness. Other offerings that I have had from Cascade have an extremely aggressive sour bite that overwhelms other aspects of the beer. That is not the case at all with this one. Extremely well balanced. Extremely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 01:59:18 | More by xenjoiii

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reddish purple tint, like the color of the sky at the end of dusk. Mildly hazy. Really a nice color that is easily associated with blueberries.

Yes, you can smell the blueberries. Especially the skins. Some light funk. Some vanilla.

Fresh blueberries come through nicely, though I can't help wishing it was slightly more concentrated. There is some sourness to, but it is restrained. Finish is dry with some lingering berry sweetness.

The mouthfeel is light, but backed up by the acidity.

Overall, this beer stays true to blueberries. I only wish it was even more dense (in berry flavor, not body). Still bound to delight any berry-lover.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 00:23:04 | More by jibbyvonjibb

shleepy

California

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from bottle (shipped from Cascade) into a tulip glass.

A: Opaque burgundy red, possibly with a hint of purple. Small white head that quickly faded.

S: Brett funkiness and dried blueberries.

T: Liquified dried blueberries (as opposed to fresh blueberries). The fruity sweetness counter-balances the sourness and funk. Neither side is overwhelming.

M: Very drinkable. The level of carbonation works well with the amount of acidity.

O: It's sour, it's made with blueberries... It's delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 00:15:35 | More by shleepy

SDDanC

California

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle just received yesterday.

Poured into Lost Abbey tulip.

A: Brilliant reddish pink color with a fingers worth of pink effervescent head. Head settles into thin outter ring with spotty lacing where it once sat.

S: Aroma is multi-layered. Initially there is a grand waft of brett must, a nice example of that that "barnyard" essence. Then comes the lactic sour bite, followed by tart blueberries. The aroma from the blueberries reminds me of the skin of a grape, which I suspect comes from the barrel treatment giving it a minute oak/wood characteristic.

T: The flavor profile is spot-on in my opinion. The blueberries are very juicy and satiable. Slightly sour, but nevertheless. . . Tart. A bit of oak comes through, complimented by a touch of vanilla through the end.

M: Very bubbly at first, but as it calmed down, the mouthfeel got a lot smoother. As it sat, it got a tad oily/slick, which went well with the vanilla end. Relatively thin overall.

Overall: excellent brew. This thing stared me down until I opened one and I am very glad I broke down. Definitely going to order a few more.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 03:59:03 | More by SDDanC

kscaldef

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: brilliant red with hints of purple. Light head recedes to a ring of bubbles. Lots of lacing.

S: Dusty blueberry and a bit of acetic edge. Gets my mouth watering pretty quickly.

T: Moderately tart opening, nice berry flavor with some herbal notes.

M: Drier than most Cascade sours, and I'm enjoying that. Medium carbonation and a good linger.

O: Very tasty and highly drinkable. Acidity levels aren't over the top, just enough to make it clean and refreshing. Fruit comes through nicely as well. This ranks up among my favorites from Cascade.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2012 20:14:08 | More by kscaldef

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared at a recent tasting. Acquired in a trade with Thorpe429 & drabmuh.

The beer is bluish purple colored and clear with a light purple head that leaves some nice lacing on the glass. A mouth watering appearance.

The aroma is just sublime. Blueberry pie with subtle notes of vanilla and a nice tartness. A beer to sniff and savor as long as your willpower can last.

Blueberries come through nicely. Mild acetic and lactic quality. Not nearly as sour as many other Cascade offerings, but refreshing and tart.

Creamy and smooth. A light sweetness from the berries offers balance.

Overall, I am quite pleased to hear this will be released in bottles. I look forward to having this again.

Serving type: growler

02-22-2012 00:17:14 | More by Huhzubendah