Cascade Vlad the Imp Aler

Brewed by Cascade Brewing
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Sample at the Barrel House. Hazy amber-orange color with a medium off-white head that dissipates quickly to an outer ring. Aroma of brett, sweet malt and oak. Full-bodied with flavors of funky brett, oaky vanilla, caramel malt and white wine. The finish is oaky and vinous with a lingering malt and fruit aftertaste. Good overall.

A steady pour into my Teku glass produces one-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The beer is an amber color that shows a hazy, pale amber hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells of fruit, buttery oak, fresh cut wood, a hint of grassy malt, and spicy alcohol. The fruit reminds me of pears, apples, apricots, some soft cherry hints. Tart lactic acid, some rounded fruit like acidity, and a soft, musty, hint of medicinal phenolics add some funky complexity.

Tart tasting, fruity, slightly sweet up front, but then the beer finishes fairly dry. A woody, slightly spicy, astringent oak character in the finish also helps to dry things out and then there is also some alcohol in the finish that also spices thing up. The fruit character tastes of apricots, touches of kumquats, and some grape like notes that are a bit foxy. The wine comparison is actually pretty apt with this beer, oak, spice, fruit leaning towards tropical, rich white grape flavors, some flint like notes, a definitely floral nectar character, and a spicy, warming, alcohol and oak character in the finish. This is fairly well carbonated, and has a texture to it that is not quite heavy, but definitely has some heft to it.

Not bad, but seems slightly disjointed, but more it doesn’t seem to coalesce as a cohesive whole. The alcohol certainly adds a bit too much heat and spice here, and it is a bit too woody to stay in balance with the rest of the beer.

I’m not a huge sour guy but recently have been dabbling. A - Aroma was a little weak at first but once it breaths it has a nice fragrant oak / spice bouquet. AP - Unfiltered but golden in color. T - Lots of complex layers in this one. Cherries and oak come through first along with a slight Belgian spice finish with more oak. O - Solid sour.

Had it in bottle twice at Pine Box in Seattle. Hands down one of the bets beers I ever tasted, certainly the best sour. Great flavors of subtle oak, tartness and funk. Nice aromas of funk and balsamic vinegar. No alcohol burn, remarkably smooth for such a big beer.

Bottle. I am liking this beer! Pours hazy amber orange with a large off-white head. Mostly diminishing, but what remains is creamy and coats the glass with nice lacing. Aroma is tart, wood, bourbon, lemon, caramel malts, bit of funk and other yeast notes. Flavor is actually quite sweet, definitely bourbonized, with medium tartness, some acidity and astringence from the wood. Medium body, bubbly carbonation, creamy mouthfeel.

750ml bottle thanks to I don’t remember who.
Appearance : Slightly hazy amber with no head.
Aroma : Sharp acidic and slightly vinegary.
Taste : Acidic and vinegary with some hops. Citrusy tartness. Some malt.
Overall : Big and bold. A bit too acidic and vinegary for my taste. Nice citrusy tartness in the background. Some nice woody notes too. Good but too much vinegar for my taste. Maybe I waited too long to open this.

Draft and bottles at 16 Tons Taphouse. When this first went on tap, I really didn’t care for it, it came across as being way too hot for the ABV. A week later, I sat down to give it another chance and was quite impressed. Pours a burnished golden color. Nose is vinous, with a slight funk. Apples, maybe chardonnay barrels as well. Slight sweetness. Body is surprisingly thick, rich, and tart, very pleasant, warming is no longer there. Very well done and surprisingly easy-drinking for the ABV.

Interesting idea here. A plae quad... THsi one brings the booze and is expectantly and yet unexpectedly tart.

750ml bottle shared by jprime. Hazed golden with a white head. Huge complex aged pale malt, funk, wood, aroma. The base beer as a massive aged Belgian blonde but the barrel and bacteria have added a complex funk and dryness. Stunning really.

On tap at chucks. Hazy bronze orange with almost no head. slight bourbon not too crazy. Quite sweet. Lemon peel, young underripe fruits. taste is similar to nose, a bit medicinal. Awesome stuff!