Rapture - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Huge thank you to mrbubbler for this treat!

Appearance. Pours a hazy, deep burnt orange/amber with a finger of amber tinted cream coloured head.

Smell. Cherries and green apples. funky old barrel, lactic sourness and vinegar, and a bit of caramel. Nice.

Taste. Sour cherry, funky brett and dank old wood, apples and melons, and a touch of vinegar and caramel.

Mouthfeel. Fairly light body (maybe a little watery even), medium-low fine carbonation.

Overall. A very nice sour that has everything you could could ask for in the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:12:40 | More by Rutager

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Axic10 for securing this bottle for me.

$18-20 for the 750mL, poured into a minisnifter
ABV not indicated on the bottle
Sampled 22FEB13

[A] Not much of a head on the pour - less than a quarter finger. Light to medium tan, foamy and quick to fizz out. Retention is short lived and neither a collar or film was ever much of a consideration. The body comes across somewhere in between maroon and burgundy. Very still looking. No lacing.

[S] Intoxicatingly bright fruit aromas. Cherry dominates followed by a nice backing of raspberry, light oak and a mild vinous quality. Fantastic. At its deepest layer, and only at warmer temperatures, a hint of rubber cement pokes through, but it is barely noticeable and hardly interferes with the nose.

[T] Cherry, raspberry, black berry and currants - definitely fruit forward. Ample acidity with great lactic flavor. Whatever yeast strain was used, it was a good choice. This beer is about as quaffable as it gets.

[M] Semi-aggressive mouthfeel with mild sourness, generous acidity and the perfect level of effervescence. Medium-full body.

[O] Honestly, this beer is fantastic and has earned every bit of the high score that it's received. Drinking exceptionally well right now.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 17:09:44 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the idiots drool release. "Batch 2" it says on the bottleneck.

A- Tan, extremely bubbly head rises up from the pour. It settles down rather quickly to a thin ring onto a murky violet color. Carbination is evident throughout the glass with small bubbles rushing to the top.

S- Definite pinot noir effect here. Oak is detected from the barrel. There is a big whiff of grapes, and some wine. Smells a lot like a flanders red.

T- Strong grape tannins hit the palatte hard, followed by a sharp vinegarrette acidity. Midway through you can feel the oak creep in. The flavor does round off with enough pale malt to remind this is beer. Nice and tart, turning fairly sour here.

M- Light bodied with high carbonation. Highly drinkable.

O- I thoroughly enjoyed this. I got three bottles of this and tried one relatively soon after I bought it. It was more malty, and less sour then. This is progressively getting more sour in my opinion, and should only get better with age. Anyone who held on to their bottles is in for a treat. Not afraid to let the other one sit for another year. Weyerbacher please make this again!!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:32:44 | More by haazer

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle. Chilled almost all the way down to fridge temperature before being poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

Weyerbacher Rapture pours an absolutely stunning cherry red, with plentiful lighter red highlights and a good bit of clarity. Almost three fingers of bone colored foam rise up to crown the beer. Head retention is pretty good, but there's not much lacing. The nose has some berry fruit aromas, and the pinot noir character imparted by the barrels is readily apparent as well. The flavor leads off with a nice raspberry-blackberry fruitiness, before transitioning into a vinous acidity. There's not much in the way of classic brett funk, but a noticeable oak flourish closes things out nicely. The mouthfeel is just off, both in body and carbonation. The former's a hair full and the latter a little bit off. The beer ends up feeling just a little bit too slick. Still, Rapture is a great sour, and one I hope Weyerbacher plans on releasing again.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 04:57:18 | More by axeman9182

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Batch 2. Big thanks to stevefinny for this.

3.5 A: Mildly hazed amber plum color. Two fingers of fizzy beige head that falls quickly and leaves no lacing.

4.0 S: Cherry and mixed berry fruitiness to start. Just underneath that there is a savory component that is hard to describe - maybe like a pithy fruitiness, perhaps if berries had peels like oranges. Moderate tartness that seems more fruity tart than sour tart. Dusty type funkiness with old, dry wood, and attic. The faintest of medicinal qualities. Oak and vanilla. Vinous red grapiness to round things out.

3.5 T: Cherry is by far the strongest flavor in the taste. Assorted berries probably come next. Surprisingly more sour than fruity tart, which fooled me in the nose. Only a cursory sourness though. The oak comes through a lot stronger and leaves a hint of tannic astringency. Same type of funk as mentioned in the nose. There's a decent complexity to this, but the flavors run shallow. Additionally, this would benefit greatly from just a hint more acetic acid. It just seems like it's missing something. Still, it's a tasty brew.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. The carbonation, while not heavy, is not as spritzy as I'd like. Smooth nonetheless.

3.5 D: Decent effort and worth a try if you can find it, but don't plan on being blown away.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 05:16:37 | More by DavoleBomb

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Soonami for the chance to try this. 750ml corked and caged bottle. Pours the color of cider with no head, just a soapy skim. Nose expresses citrus, cork and light pit fruit. Taste follows nose; however, there's also a light, buttery character. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a lively, even carbonation. Not the most complex wild, but great balance and tastes wonderful. Just as good as I remember it from NOTF.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 23:51:33 | More by Jwale73

libbey

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml split with my brother and poured into a NB globe. Big thanks to Rempo for this stellar extra.

A: The beer pours a dark mahogany brown with a nice off white cap of head that held amazing retention for a sour. A nice trail of tight spotty lacing is left throughout the session.

S: Nice mix of tannins and oak intermingling with a touch of funk and tartness. Smells pretty juicy.

T: The taste is well balanced. Nice layering of barnyard funk and tartness. The barrel becomes more pronounced as it warms adding layers of oak and berry. Subtle and very well executed. Good stuff.

M: Mouthfeel is awesome. Perfect carbonation levels leave a lovely creamy coating of sour and funk on the pallet. The finish is nice and dry. Wonderful.

O: Overall this is a really nice American Wild from Weyerbacher. Really glad to have tried it. It reminded me a lot of Supplication, which is probably my favorite readily available sour from the States. Would love to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:20:43 | More by libbey

FosterJM

California

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1293rd Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
750 Ml C/C

Batch 2
Thanks to CPAbeer and Stormking47 for this one

App- Still not sure how this beer got so damn dark but with this and Monomoy Kriek. Im thinking wine barrels. Was an off dirty brown with a small quick receding head and zero cling.

Smell- A lot of the tannins come through 1st on this one. The fruit and oak come next with a thick and deep earthy floral note.

Taste- A very nice wild ale. Has a great layered flavor with a lot of juicy fruits and then comes the oak and a bit of the pinot tannins on the finish.

Mouth- A light body with a bit of a low-medium carbonation. Needs a bit more bubbles on this one.

Drink- This is a very tasty beer with well rounded flavor and a juicy kick on the end. I was sad that I drank my bottle but then Callmecoon gave me one as a gift.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:03:05 | More by FosterJM

UCLABrewN84

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared at FosterJM's birthday celebration courtesy of FosterJM.

Bottled 5/27/11. Batch 2.

Pours a slightly murky brown with a tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some slight vinegar and sour fruit aromas. Taste is very much the same along with some woody flavors. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good wild ale with a really nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 22:11:50 | More by UCLABrewN84

Treebs

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml C&C bottle served in a Deschutes tulip. Big thanks to Andrew (nasty31) for the share.

A: Pours a murky apricot color with a thin light yellow film forming on the pour. It leaves some light splotches along the sides.

S: The smell is a little underwhelming. Mild tartness, some peach core, some sweet berry flesh.

T: the taste is way better. Mild citrus and bright berry tartness. Strawberry fruit flesh that's mildly sweet with little pucker. The finish is some grassy hay.

M: Light and clean in the finish. The carbonation is spritzy and refreshing.

O: This beer was a little underwhelming at first, but the taste was very nice and it light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 13:11:19 | More by Treebs

mdaschaf

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to ShanePB for this one!

A: Pours a hazy red/copper/brown color with a small tan head that reduces quickly to a ring around the top. No lacing.

S: Dark cherries, vinegar, and a little bit of caramel. There is definitely some wood coming through and a little bit of vanilla.

T: More dark cherries and a little bit of red grapes with a slight tart green apple flavor as well. There is a little bit of brown sugar and caramel.

M: Light to medium bodied, carbonation is lively. Not overly sour, but overall has a nice tartness. Slightly dry finish.

O: A really nice wild, seems more like a flanders, but it doesn't change the fact that it taste good.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 01:37:15 | More by mdaschaf

brystmar

New York

3.8/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Undated bottle; pretty sure it's from 2011.

Reddish pour with brown hues. Off-white head of tiny bubbles leaves nice lacing on my glass.

Aroma is fruity, mostly raspberries. Taste follows suit, starting fruity and a little sweet before dirty yeast takes over. Briefly turns earthy/funky, then (surprisingly) bitter. Reminds me of Rosso, but not quite as good.

A decent American sour. We're lucky to have so many well-made sours available these days, and because of that I probably won't be seeking out this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 04:02:07 | More by brystmar

Khazadum

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

HUGE THANKS TO A RANDOM DISTRIBUTION FORM A GREAT GUY! He will love me post-DLD 2012.

A- Easy head developed, not too much stickiness. The retention time on this one is low, as expected. Very minor body, the coloration is a ruby red with low lacing.

S- Oh soo sweet and so acidic too. We have raspberries with hints of strawberry in front of acetic acid... minor lactic. Strawberries and its seed. Its fruity and acidic all at once. You can't tell if this will rip your face off or not. Very delightful.

T- Flavors are more sweet than tart. Its full fledged strawberry and raspberry middle with a gentle lactic finish. This needs tons of time to get to the stage of lambic or any appreciable sourness Its the VERY beginner sours. Finishes a delightful vine like quality of strawberry and raspberry sweetness with just the hint of anything sour. Its more like a fruit beer than anything else.

M- For what it is, it is perfect. Quickly tart, but finishes dry, woody, sweet. Its like a quick burst of fruit juice... just a hint of too much citrus. Very nice change-up if you are TRYINg to get into sours. Anyone else need not apply. Not bad, but I've loong been acustomed to this style. Please make something stronger!

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 05:26:54 | More by Khazadum

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to Riggsy for this one!

Pours a semi-hazed orange with a slight ivory colored head. Looks more like a glass of wine, zero head retention & lacing

S: Raspberries & oakyness

T: Much sourness up front, raspberry, a touch of vinegar & oaky dryness. Puckery dryness, leather, vinegar notes. Finishes puckery & dry, with a bit of sherry & tart cherries

MF: Medium bodied, dry,dry, dry & near zero carbonation

A nice sour, a fairly good jolt to the palet, sour freaks will enjoy this. I was hoping for a bit more diversity in the flavors

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 04:53:17 | More by russpowell

scottfrie

California

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle from StormKing47. Thanks Josh! Batch 1.

A: Pours a dark, clear, iced-tea color with a very short lived head that faded to a thin collar.
S: Dry, funky, and very fruity. Berries are noticeable, strawberries maybe. Definitely oaky and dry.
T: Fruit skin tannins, dry oak, and definite strawberries come through. Flavors are easy and smooth. I get some sugary fruit notes along with darker prune-like fruits in the finish.
M: Clean and sweet body, very smooth for a sour with no harshness. Even carbonation. Dry but not crazy.
O: Very clean, easy sour, with great fruity flavors. This one was well done. Thanks again, Josh.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:20:36 | More by scottfrie

bs870621345

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a fantome tulip

Pours a clear deep amber color with a good amount of head. Almost no lacing at all.

Smells like lemons, vinegar, leather, barnyard, and a bit of dark fruits.

Starts of with a ton of sweetness, a coco and dark fruit that opens into a lemon flavor. The lemons turn to vinegar, grapes, and funk with great plum flavors mixed in. Chocolate pokes the tongue before the acid and oak finishes it out. Very dry finish that works well.

Mouthfeel is a bit thick, but not bad at all with carbonation.

Overall, this is excellent...didn't love it at release but it's really good now. Drink warm!

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 01:06:08 | More by bs870621345

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of yourefragile

Appearance: plumb-red with a very small off-white head that quickly disappears, no lacing.

Smell: Reminiscent of a consecration/supplication blend clone, I get oak, rhubarb, cherries, leather and acid. Touch of must. All the right notes but they aren't working together to play the right tune.

Taste: Very sour/acidic, again very similar to a consecration/supplication blend/clone. Oak, cherries, berries, must. The thing I dislike is the post-swallow finish, something off about it. Could be the brett.

Mouthfeel - light body, low carbonation.

Overall: Needs a bit of improvement - touch more carbonation and whatever that weird finish is that tastes slightly like gym socks should be eliminated. A good example of what average is for the category.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 03:21:49 | More by craytonic

tewaris

Minnesota

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

Shared by a kind soul. I can't recall who, but thanks nonetheless! Poured into a tasting snifter.

Burnt amber hued with plenty of haze. The head was poor, hardly a few bubbles hanging around. But the bottles at a tasting table get shaken up quite a bit, so I will give it the benefit of doubt.

Strong lemon funk... yum! Slightly sweet and moderately tart after getting used to. Finishes slightly bitter and very very dry. The carbonation is up there and the beer is very mouth filling. I loved the lemony notes in it! There was an odd softness that might have been from the dregs, so I will let that go. A good beer for sure.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 19:34:41 | More by tewaris

vfgccp

New York

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice maple amber color. Off-white head has a fine bubble structure with low lace but nice retention.

S - Sharp and clean nose with bright, prickly, tart apple and white peach.

T - A soft sugarcane sweetness brushes your palate before a whip-crack sourness floods through the profile with fresh cranberries and crisp, unripe peaches. Great lemon acidity in the center. The profile is dry almost straight out of the gate, and finishes almost arid.

M - Medium-full body with a dusty dryness. Great carbonation.

O - A big, bright, acidic American Wild. A nice example of the style imho.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 20:22:57 | More by vfgccp

StoryOfTheGhost

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Smelled of cherry, vinegar, vanilla, oak. Taste was very similar to smell. This was a very balanced sour. Not for the person looking for extreme intensity in their sours. But great for someone like me that is still pretty new to this style. I appreciated the balanced flavor, and the mouthfeel and lingering aftertaste were excellent

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 04:02:20 | More by StoryOfTheGhost

Retsinis

California

3.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Adam (mrbubbler) for bringing this to the tasting.

Review is from notes, tasted mid October.

A: Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass, an intial quarter inch of soapy head forms, & quick disapation, settling to just a ring of bubbles. Beer is a hazy brown, with a ruby hue.

S: Still training my wild ale/sour nose, but I get acidic & lactic scents, wood, some light raspberries, & dates.

T: Mirrors the nose for me mostly, dates, light wood, touch of apples as it warms. Acidity & lactic acids are a bit potent for me personally.

M: Medium carbonation, light touch of medium dryness. Sticky sweetness.

O: Good to Decent, but more acidic then balanced to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:51:36 | More by Retsinis

MasterSki

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Mike (AgentZero) for sharing this beer. Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - A finger of off-white foam settles to a thick collar, some wisps, and minimal lace. Dark orange-brown body.

S - Oak, vinegar, some lactic sourness, and perhaps a touch of plastic. Somewhat generic "American" wild ale flavor profile, and a touch too woody, but on the whole fairly pleasant.

T - Taste is a bit less exciting. There's some spicy red wine mingling with the oak and acetic sourness. The finish is dusty and somewhat medicinal.

M - Zesty carbonation, mild pucker, and a medium body. Finishes quite dry and tannic, with light acidity. Alcohol isn't present. Goes down quite easy, and doesn't cause stomach distress, which is appreciated.

D - A solid American Wild Ale. Nothing super exciting, but drinkable, enjoyable, and something I'd drink again if it were available. Unfortunately I can think of many beers of this style that I'd rather drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 04:13:44 | More by MasterSki

lnashsig

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Many thanks to ShanePB for this huge want! Had this in July at GABF when they first opened these bottles. Amazing stuff back then, and have been looking for a bottle since. Poured from C&C bottle into Jester King Farmhouse Ale glass. Pours a cloudy and rich looking amber color. Smell- tart cherries, cherry pie filling, sugary rich tart flavors. Taste- front of the palate a sharp tart sour flavor. It is followed by a cherry pie filling blast, a little bit of that pinot noir grape flavor is in the background. nice carbonation makes for a nice dry finish. This reminds me of a flanders style sour, possibly close to Supplication. Just a really wonderful sour. Would have this again and again if I could.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 01:37:06 | More by lnashsig

Sean9689

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not sure who opened this one...750ml bottle into Darkness tulip.

A - Pours a rusty reddish/brown color, white head, some bottles around the sides of the glass, no cap.

S - Lots of acetic notes, red wine, oak, more Oud Bruin then anything.

T - Very sharp sour cherries, vinegar, oak, light funk. Finish is tart cherries, oak, and vinegar.

M - Light to medium, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - A pretty solid Wild that reminds of of a Flanders Oud Bruin. Relatively easy to drink and right up there with Oude Tart and Red Poppy, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 19:29:40 | More by Sean9689

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle courtesy of yourefragile. Served in a Mikasa tulip.

Pours a red-amber color with a good off-white head and a bit of lacing. The nose carries some cherries and oak plus a bit of an acetic character behind the lactic acid. Flavor ramps up the acetic character a bit more; not surprising given what Riserva is normally like. Light-medium body with oak and acetic acid. Not the best sour, though not awful.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 14:21:24 | More by Thorpe429