Cascade Brewing Barrel House (Portland, OR)

I had to revisit Cascade Brewing Barrel House, this time to do a complete run-through of the sour ales-

Cascade Brewing Apple Pie Sour Ale

Apple Pie certainly had apples going for it, but more yellow than green, that sat sweetly over cinnamon and vanilla.  Throughout the drink, there was a funky, grassy barn taste and wheat.  Apple Pie was thankfully a restrained “evocative of…” rather than an in your face, artificial tasting mess.

Cascade Brewing Summer Gose Sour Ale

The Summer Gose was well carbonated and expressed a mélange of fruit flavors over the sweet malt.  There wasn’t much funk to detect, but an odd saltiness came through at the end that extended the flavors into the fade without becoming too cloying.

Cascade Brewing Nightfall Sour Ale

This sour ale was a blur of berries, grapes, and cherries, with nothing standing out.  What it lacked in definable character it made up for by being the perfect mix of tart and sweet.

Cascade Brewing Lemon Drop Sour Ale

Wow.  I love sours, but this had too much vinegar and funk going on for even me.  The lemon was there, but very artificial tasting (like a hard candy) and marred by a jarring combination of pungent vinegar and artificial sweeteners.

Cascade Brewing The Vine Sour Ale

The Vine was one of the funkiest (in that good, sour way) of the bunch, almost wine like in the prominence of grape and cherries.  There was quite a bit of barrel coming through, and the tartness was contrasted with a creamy, almost thick body.

Cascade Brewing Sang Royale Sour Ale

Truly the king, this ale opened with tart cherries and somewhat bracing carbonation before a mild sweetness and touch of cider came through.  The oak came through strong on this beer, and a soft vinegar was always present to offset the other flavors.  My favorite of the tastings done here.

Cascade Brewing Nouveau Cerise Sour Ale

A newer take on the sour Kriek ale (hense the name), this was the youngest and sharpest tasting of the tasting, making it both a bit more refreshing but also the least integrated.  The fruit came through a bit strong.

Cascade Brewing Apricot Ale Belgian Style Flanders 2009 Ale

I finally feel fancy enough to open one of the sour ales I brought back from my amazing visit to Cascade Brewing’s Barrel House, so let’s pop the cork on with Cascade Brewing’s Belgian Style Flanders 2009 Apricot Ale.

Cascade Brewing Apricot Ale Belgian Style Flanders 2009 Ale poured a hazy dark apricot color, it’s fizzy white head fed by strong carbonation trails.  The nose was surprisingly subdued, being dominated by apricot supported by slightly sour citrus and yeast notes.

Cascade Brewing Apricot Ale Belgian Style Flanders 2009 Ale opened with a soft, fizzy start that carried a rounded sourness that settled into a dry, apricot center.   A subtle, funky yeast background, combined with an oaking more felt than tasted, gave the ale a well integrated, mature dry fade.  

Cascade Brewing Apricot Ale Belgian Style Flanders 2009 Ale is a fantastic example of what happens when a great sour ale is given time to mature. 

Cascade Brewing Saison de la Maison

I try not to gush unduly, but if you find yourself in Portland, GO TO CASCADE BREWING BARREL HOUSE!  Last weekend I was treated to amazing customer service, the biggest selection of excellent sour ales I've seen in one place, and a large assortment of great brews that are anything but standard.  I picked up a few sours to taste on a different day, but wanted to call out an exception saison they had on tap, Cascade Brewing Saison de la Maison.

Cascade Brewing Saison de la Maison poured a golden honey hue with red highlights topped by a thin, lacy white head.  The nose had the distinct peppercorn and Belgian yeast I've come to expect from a saison, with tropical fruits faintly detectable.

Cascade Brewing Saison de la Maison opened with the tropical fruits hinted at in the nose and some meadow grass hints.  It's initial sweetness quickly tightened up into a drier, spicy middle accented by licorice and spicy peppers.  The dry body faded quickly but left a nice, spring morning in a field taste.

I don't typically go to a saison as my first beer of choice, but Cascade Brewing Saison de la Maison is, hands down, the best saison I have tried... nuanced, pronounced, perfectly exemplifying the style.

Cascade Brewing Vlad the Imp Aler Sour Ale

Cascade Brewing Vlad the Imp Aler Sour Ale, one of the few sour ales made by Cascade Brewing available in a bottle, poured a mostly clear, dark orange hue with a slightly brown tinge to the edge of the glass and a small white head.  The nose was a mélange of green apples, wood, vanilla, and very light notes of vinegar.

Cascade Brewing Vlad the Imp Aler opened with strong, sweet caramel and vanilla malts competing with fruity tartness of cherries, lemon, and grapefruit.  Lactic sourness and the oak came through as the tartness settled down, followed by slight funk as the ale faded.

Cascade Brewing Vlad the Imp Aler is a bold, complex beer that is supremely drinkable and never hints at the 10% ABV.  Although I would have preferred it a bit more sour, that’s a tiny complaint next to such a well designed, brewed, and aged ale.  

Cascade Lakes Brewing IPA

Having recently picked up a new round of beer to keep my fridge stocked and tasting list front-loaded, I’m clearing out the last few bottles I picked up in late February.  After a day of being out and about hiking with kiddo, the thought of tackling the intimidating 22oz barley wine or the 10%+ABV Belgian ales seemed a bit overwhelming, so it was with a sense of relief I found a bottle by Cascade Lakes Brewing Company in the back of the fridge.  I’m going to enjoy the last bit of sun today and crack open a bottle of Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. India Pale Ale.

Cascade Lakes India Pale Ale was cloudy orange in my glass, with a thin white head.  The nose was somewhat generic for an IPA…there were the obligatory notes of pine and light citrus.

Cascade Lakes IPA drank about as generic as it smelled, opening with a moderate hop front with an above average biscuit malt profile backing it early on and settled into a mostly dry, toasty middle.  The malts actually tasted a bit too homogeneous, making me wonder if the ale was an extract recipe (that’s what it reminded me of… a homebrew kit).

There’s nothing wrong with Cascade Lakes India Pale Ale (in fact, the should be lauded to being a Pacific Northwest brewery crafting an IPA closer to the old world style than the hop-bombs I know and love from the West coast), but it doesn’t offer anything that surpasses “adequate”, which makes it hard to recommend with some many more exciting experiences sitting right next to it on the shelf.

Elysian The Immortal IPA

The lovely Madame Crystal was kind enough to stock the pantry with some tasty 22s for my Portland visit.  Among the collection was an IPA from Elysian Brewing, a Seattle-based brewery we visited a couple of years ago at their Elysian Fields bar and restaurant.  I recall their more exotic beers, like the Avatar Jasmine IPA and Dragon's Tooth Stout being outstanding while some of their more "in the style of" offerings being a bit more average than the price, name, and packaging implied.  But hey... before I head out to the Cascade Brewing Barrel House for a heady flight of seven 8oz. samples of sour ales, let's crack open Elysian Brewing's Elysian The Immortal IPA.

Elysian The Immortal IPA was highly carbonated as it poured into the glass, forming a big, loose white head over a clear amber body.  The nose was mostly comprised of pine, with supporting notes of biscuit.

Elysian The Immortal IPA opened with a warm citrus start with subtle touches of honey and cream.  The ale quickly settled into a decidedly malty middle, hinting at burnt sugar and stone fruit without ever leaving the bready core.  It finished on a long linger with a slight bitterness.

Elysian The Immortal IPA falls into the large group of unremarkable IPAs that glut the shelves of better bottle shops.  It is surprisingly un-hopped for a Northwest IPA and isn't remarkable enough in it's malts to stand out.  It certainly isn't a bad beer, but it falls far short of the audacious name "immortal".  However, I do have to concede it was the perfect match for a late biscuits, sausage, and gravy brunch; the malts complimenting the biscuits and the bitter finish cutting the heaviness of the meal.