“Apricot is a blend of sour blond ales that were aged in oak wine barrels for up to 14 months. Unfruited sour blond ale is barrel aged for over seven months before adding in more than 13,000 pounds of fresh apricots in tanks and barrels for an additional seven months of aging. The Apricot project has been pivotal in the evolution of Cascade Brewing’s identity as a producer of Northwest sour ales since 2007.”
Glassware: Stemmed tulip.
Appearance: Apricot colour with a lacto haze…looks like a bloody NEIPA! It forms a wispy white overlay which instantly snaps back to the rim. Patchy dotted lace clings to the glass as we imbibe.
Aroma: Dead set spot on. The feature apricot sinks in to the musty oak and mild lacto sourness with absolute perfection. Literally smells like a freshly picked apricot. Delicate vinegar and lemon tartness, light florals, rockmelon, Swiss cheese and horse blanket making up the bulk of it. Picking up very subtle cracker malts at the base. Superb.
Flavour: Quite a heavy sourness comes on…high in citric acid, vinegar and lacto bacteria. As it tapers off the fleshy and somewhat tart apricot comes through with unripened rockmelon, woody oak, spice and pineapple. A late rush of vinegar and lacto funk along with barnyard and apricot finish with a musty and oaky dryness which sits on the back palate.
Mouthfeel: A chalky and somewhat powdery texture coats the mouth. Slightly prickly, lip puckering and tannic. Mild-medium body with moderate co2.
Overall: Certainly big on the sour front and the mildly tart and fleshy apricots present nicely throughout the whole experience…in effect handing a decent balance to it. It’s not their best but it’s still an impressive drop.