Cascade Brewing Co.
Noyaux (Northwest Style Sour Ale) (Ale Aged In Oak Barrels With Raspberries And Apricot Noyaux) (2014 Project)
American Wild Ale
Oregon
9.29%
25.4oz, Single
$22.99
Slightly better than expected head which crests just past one finger, even surface that steadily sizzles down to a thin surface coating, likewise you get a few lacing streaks that surprise in their stickiness. The liquid is a super cloudy reddish orange, fully opaque, quite a bit of tiny widely dispersed bubbles swirl aggressively throughout. The nose is sharply boozy and immediately shows the oak influence, buttered toast, vanilla fudge and challah bread more than sweeter caramel or such, archly sour lime to lemon citrus tones, there's a poached concentration to the apricot, peach scents but the sourness decisively trumps any coalescing sweetness, yeast, mint, then lighter vegetal compost, in the end the oak crushes all else. In the mouth it's medium-bodied, sour with good plus scrubbing sensation from the carbonation, feels acidic. Strawberry, cherry, apricot, white grape fruit flavors predominate, the citrus cuttingly bright, white grapefruit to lemon. Yeasty without any buttery sweetness. It is a big beer in terms of palate presence and heft, however, there is subtle complexity to be found. Its relentlessness is its strength and weakness, there's nowhere to relax in it. Electric charge, best shared among 2-3 imbibers.
4 out of 5