Cascade Brewing Primordial Noir

Bourbon Barrl Aged Imperial Red Ale
with Cherries and Spices (NW Sour)

10.5% ABV
Beer Advocate - 4.1/5
Untappd - 4.2/5

28B. Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer

American Wild Ales are beers that are introduced to "wild" yeast or bacteria, such as Brettanomyces, Pediococcus, or Lactobacillus. This introduction may occur from oak barrels that have been previously inoculated, pitching into the beer, or gained from various "sour mash" techniques. Regardless of the method, these yeast and/or bacteria leave a mark that should be noticeable to strong, and often contribute a sour and/or funky, wild note. Mixed-fermentation examples will display a range of aromatics, rather than a single dominant character.

Purchased at Market of Choice

I had been eyeing this particular brew for awhile now. I mean, what's not to like about the appearance and description? A blending of Imperial Red Ales that have been aged in Bourbon Barrels and Wine Barrels sounds delicious to me. The fact it has Cherries and Spices makes it even better. On top of all that, it's a sour?!? Yes please! Not to forget the ABV coming in at 10.5%. All the makings for an unforgettable brew. Now on to the review!

Aroma: I definitely detect the cherry. It has a nice sourness to the smell (some sours remind me of vomit, this does not). Small trace of bourbon in the back with a mingling of spices (so says the missus, I didn't detect spices).   8

Appearance: A nice deep mahogany with very little head. Has decent lacing. Beautiful, almost brings a tear to my eye. Not really, but still.   8

Flavor: Wow! The complexity is astounding. Has a nice sourness leading off that ventures into a complex co-mingling of a savory red wine (reminds of Marachel Foch), cherry and a subtle touch of bourbon. The spices are there but not coming through a whole lot. 9

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation and feels like drinking a fine wine. I expected as much. 8

Overall: The missus scrunches here nose..."smells savory" she says. Takes a drink, "bleh! No wonder! It's a sour!" Let's just say sours are not her favorite. But I like them...I like them a lot. Especially this one. Cascade does a masterful job of creating a complex brew for your enjoyment. If you like sours, I highly recommend this one. The complexities will delight the senses that makes the price of the brew (about $13) well worth it.  8.25

Matt's mark: 4.13/5

Cetacea Saison with Szechuan Peppercorns by Yachats Brewing

6.6% ABV
Beer Advocate score - n/a
Untappd score 3.88/5

25B. Saison

Most commonly, a pale, refreshing, highly-attenuated, moderately-bitter, moderate-strength Belgian ale with a very dry finish. Typically highly carbonated, and using non-barley cereal grains and optional spices for complexity, as complements the expressive yeast character that is fruity, spicy, and not overly phenolic. Less common variations include both lower-alcohol and higher-alcohol products, as well as darker versions with additional malt character.

Found at the Market of Choice

I had been eyeing this particular brew for about a month now. I just love the label...and also Saison's of course. I haven't had a Yachats Brewing beer for a couple or three years because I don't get out to the coast much and they can be fairly spendy on the shelf. This time though, the label won me over...and of course, it being a Saison. I also thought it was a pretty cool name (named after a diverse group of of aquatic mammals)...and also the fact that it's a Saison. On to the review!

Aroma:  A spicy floral on the nose with a decent malt back bone. Smooths out to a nice touch of sweet citrus on the back end.  7.75

Appearance:  Has a nice harvest gold color with a thick inch head that leaves medium lacing as it dissipates. A little hazy.  7.5

Flavor:  The missus says it's goaty and barnyardy. It does have an aroma reminiscent of a farm (it is a farmhouse ale after all), but I didn't detect any goat though. More of a straw with sweet citrus and a subtle (and I mean subtle) bite of the peppercorn. Definitely interesting.  7.75

Mouthfeel:  Dry, crisp and easy drinking. Not as highly carbonated as I thought it was going to be but not off putting at all.  8

Overall:  A solid offering from Yachats Brewing. I found it to be an interesting addition to the Saison family. The brew marked off all the check marks for a Saison but it might be awhile until I purchase another one of these though. Kinda a steep price to pay for a pint of beer at $10 a bottle.  7.75

Matt's mark: 3.88/5

Irish-ish Coffee Stout by Eviltwin Brewing

Brewed for Eviltwin Brewing by Dorchester Brewing Company

Shot taken before hell broke loose

10.3% ABV 58 IBU
Beer Advocate score - 4.19/5
 Untappd score 4.04/5

20C. Imperial Stout

An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld together to create a complex, harmonious beer, not a hot mess.

Found at The Bier Stein

The ruler is 18 inches

Wow! What a week! This review is coming at you a few days late...it's not my fault, I swear! The weekend started off innocently enough. Had a nice lunch at my favorite watering hole (The Brewstation) which had a tap take over the night before from Caldera Brewing (had a nice Raspberry Sour called Mother Pucker). After which, I went home and started my home-brew, a gruit ale called a Kvasir (mainly a wheat beer with honey, lingonberry, cranberry, meadowsweet and yarrow). Cleaned up and then relaxed with the missus. Next day, all hell broke loose. It started with a few small snowflakes on Sunday at 11:30am. It didn't stop until 7:00pm the next day. In the meantime, the yeast got a little vigorous and caused a blowout in my fermenter, which hasn't happened to me in 4 years. It was a harbinger of things to come. To summarize, we lost power sometime during the night and woke up to about 15 inches of snow! On the valley floor! Unheard of in these parts. Thank God for the wood stove, hot water (natural gas is the only way to go), a good book and alcohol or we would have been in for much more of a disaster. We didn't get power back until late Tuesday and the Internet was down until early Friday. So here we are, now on to the review!

Aroma: Has a lot going on with it. An herbaceous vanilla up front with a peppery Poblano smell. I rechecked the label, no mention of peppers. It finished off with a toasted malt character and coffee off in the distance.   9

Appearance: Deep coffee color with half inch cream head. Poured a tiny bit syrupy.  8

Flavor: An explosion of flavors! First off, didn't taste any Poblano (made sense). What I did taste were toasted malts, vanilla, nutmeg and coffee with the slightest of hints of chocolate on the back end.  9

Mouthfeel:  Nice medium bodied brew with a touch of creaminess from the lactose used. Not syrupy.  8

Overall: I have always wanted to try an Eviltwin Brewing beer. This did not disappoint. The aroma of the brew alone was quite an experience. Not sure if my sniffer was broken but I still swear I detected pepper. Whatever the case, Irish-ish Coffee Stout has everything you look for in an Imperial Coffee Stout plus probably a little more than what you payed for. Highly recommend.   8.5

Matt's mark: 4.25/5