This just came across the facebook feed from Cascade in case anyone's interested: "We're releasing a VERY limited batch of Cerise Nouveau in bottles today (11/14) at 4:01pm, in-house only."
More info here: http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2012/11/cascade_releases_cerise_today.html Bottles will be $21. 4 bottle limit.
I dropped in for a taste. Very mild and drinkable. Not one of their most complex brews but the fresh cherry flavor comes through in a sweeter fashion than their Kriek. I thought it was good enough to buy a couple bottles. My only concern is I'm not sure how long the fresh cherry taste will stick around. I asked the bartender and he said it will be good for a few years, but I don't know if he was just giving a stock response or if he really knew what he was talking about.
That was about the opposite of my experience with it. I got really heavy earth/leather/tobacco tones underneath the pronounced cherry, much like a wine (and mention as much in my review.) I give Cascade a lot of crap because of their lacto preferences and the sameness of their lineup, fruit nonwithstanding, but it's because I miss beers like Cerise which feels like it's more from the old Cascade. Complex and tasty.
Randomly in Portland for this - liked it, but didnt love. I bought a few bottles but stocked up on the Noyaux.
I don't disagree with your taste assessment, except that I don't think I would describe anything about it as heavy. When I think of heavy flavors I'm thinking of something like Block 15 Demon's Farm. In other words, it's the sort of beer my GF could easily scarf down. When I compare it to something like Bourbonic plague, I found this to be quite mild. Maybe I shouldn't call it "not complex" but "subtle" instead.
I went last week and was going to buy some Noyaux, but then had some on tap and didn't like it (considerably). So I passed. Had a friend pick up some bottles of the Cherise yesterday for me. Hopefully I like it...
Will be town this Sunday and would like to pick up a bottle or two. Anyone have a feel for how much appears to be left at this point?
I enjoy this beer a lot. Doesn't taste like a Cascade at all though. Mild tartness, with huge sweet cherry presence. Cascade suggests drinking these ASAP, so I'm just going to enjoy mine on thanksgiving after a cherry adam from the wood.
You're going to be pretty safe. I'm guessing you'll be able to get it at Cascade until early December, since, when I was there yesterday, only a few bottles were on tables. (Though it was early, so maybe people dropped by after work.) Did you have it on tap or in the bottle? It's a genuine question, because I had the live barrel, and I'd hate for the bottle to be so much different than what I experienced. I didn't find it mild, subtle, or quaffable, it really did make me think of a good pinot noir from the Willamette.
The blurb in the Oregonian claimed 100 cases. So now we know what Cascade means when they say "very limited quantities"
I've long since learned that "very limited quantities" has about as much meaning as the words luxury and gourmet do in an apartment and buffet restaurant context, and about as much meaning as the word "reserve" has in a wine context. In other words, nothing... Hence my question.
I had the live barrel. I'm kind of thinking that we are describing the same thing in opposite ways though. I agree that it was wine-like, but to me wine is inherently very mild/drinkable. That's actually why I prefer beer (because I often find wine to not be stimulating enough). I guess we just have different palettes. Going off topic, how is there no thread for the Abyss release yet?
I got to try it out of the bottle on Friday. It's pretty much the same, possibly more fruity. Perhaps it's because the bottled beer is 8.5% while the live barrel is 9.5%
