Cascade ‘Oregon Summer’ BA Fruit Sour

Rating:

“Each year, after enduring the long, grey Northwest winter, Oregonians are rewarded with a bright and bountiful summer, and few flavors embody this epic season better than fresh berries and lavender. Oregon Summer features sour wheat ale aged in oak barrels for 10 months with locally grown blackberries, boysenberries and lavender, capturing a slice of summer in every can.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Deep strawberry complexion with a short fizzy head that disappears before we could even put the glass back down. No head…no lace.

Aroma: Initially the olfactory’s are met with an almighty mixed berry sweetness. It’s amazing how far they’ve taken the feature berries…to the point where we can pick up every berry imaginable. And that’s not to mention the cordial version, the ice block version and the confectionary version. The woody oak adds a certain sophistication but also a crucial balance as well. Sort of funky, creamy, yoghurt-esque sourness to it. So good.

Flavour: It’s been so long since we’ve had a proper sour beer that it’s hitting us like a tonne of bricks. Full on eye-wincing, saliva-inducing sourness. It reminds us of a super sour, boozy, berry-flavoured slush puppie with a nudge of woody oak, yoghurt, cheese cave and a bit of sweaty funk. We were a little unsure of the lavender but thankfully it’s rather minute and only helps to set up the super complex finish.

Mouthfeel: Sharp, crisp and mineraly. A nice vibrant Co2 and a well masked 5.7% ABV.

Overall: Seriously top notch stuff here from Cascade. No surprises though, they’re one of the best sour breweries in the world for a reason. You Oregonians don’t know how lucky you are!