5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
UPDATED: SEP 20, 2008 I’m in love with this rendition of a Flanders style Oud Bruin/Kriekbier. The color, head, and particularly the lacing are exquisite. The nose is quite refined, and redolent of sour cherries, some restrained, and even elegant banyard/horseblanket (an amazing paradox in itself) very subtle hints of baker’s chocolate, and a touch of something like pomegranite.
The body is not too rich, but nicely mouthcoating, and the flavors echo the aromas, with the pinot noir, and cabernet barrel aging quite evident. There is a nice tartness, although it is somewhat muted compared to the nose...this contributes to this ale’s elegance, but restrains its wildness. Perhaps the Brett will open up with some more aging, but even if it doesn’t, I’m thrilled with how this beauty turned out, (in fact, I’m sort of hoping it doesn’t, since that might impact negatively on the refined elegance the beer has already) It’s my hands-down favorite among The Deschutes Reserve series, thusfar, and one of my favorite three beers ever (the other two being Olde Curmudgeon, and Stillenacht Reserve 1996).
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
UPDATED: SEP 25, 2008 Pours amber with a solid head that reduces abruptly leaving minimal lace. Aromas of sharp and sour spices. Medium nectar with superb carbonation almost reaching the creamy sensation I long for. As I ponder my notes I conclude that this beer is supreme. This may be the perfect beer, for me. Amazing balance is achieved to include all components. Mildly sour, dry, defined stonefruit, under ripened wild apple, leather, dusty granite. It’s wild and gamy yet friendly on the palate. The finish lingers with no change of flavor. TRUMP! I am pulling this beer from the shelf and hording it for myself =) You snooze you lose. Where’s the alcohol ? Totally non detectable.
5 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
1pint 6oz Bottle...pours brown and heavy on the fizzy side. This beer shocked my Palate...not sure what I was expecting. Wife brought home with the Black Butte XXIV. The finish is fruity...like a barley wine or gluwine (Spelling???) from Germany. Completely out of the ordinary but fun and the alcohol content was absolutely on the knock you on your but side. I thought this beer was different but very tasty...recommended!!
4.9 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
This was truly fantastic. A nice sour cherry aroma and a good reddish color. The flavor has a great sour tartness to it that isn’t really sweet so it’s easily drinkable. Easily worth the price. Spectacular.
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
I love this beer so much it’s hard to put it into words. The 2008 release was one of the first "sour" brews I’ve ever had and I was hooked. Drank the last 2008 bottle I had the other night. Currently sipping the 2010 release. Fantastic! Sour aroma to begin which is met with sweetness that’s honestly cherry. No funk in the nose. First flavor is amaretto followed with almonds then straight into the tart cherries and sourness that lingers perfectly. This is probably one of the most perfect brews I have ever tasted. Thank You, Deschutes. Cheers!
4.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
pours a light murky tan/tawny/red colour, with a light head .. . sour cherries and pure sour goodness ... super smooth, and lip smacking! .. . sweet/sour playing on my tongue, really indescribable goodness here .. . The nicest sour yet!! god i wish i had more!!
4.7 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
"this one was fun. i had it at a beer tasting party, and although there were a few others that people didn’t totally agree on, this one was polarizing. it was like democrats & republicans in there. our host, who spit his out, was in the "hate it" crowd, while i was on the opposite end of the spectrum. i have even more respect for Deschutes for creating a beer like this. It pours a ruby brown color and you’re immediately hit with a complex aroma of musty apples &/or cherries, with so many other things underneath, I can’t describe. The flavor is a wonder. more of the same. tart, complex beyond my expectations with a great finish. this beer stands on it’s own incredibly well or would bring out the flavor in numerous foods. HIGHLY recomended!!! One of the most unique beers I’ve had."
4.7 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
22 oz bomber. Pours a beautiful rosy red/brown color. Some slightly pink head, good lacing. Aroma is sour cherries up front with some great malt undertones as well. Is there a slight leather aroma too? Perhaps. Flavor is very complex, with sour cherry, yeast, and malt up front. As it cooled, I also tasted vanilla and bourbon notes imparted by the oak casking. All in all, this was quite remarkable. Special thanks to Andrew at QFC at the north Broadway location for pulling this out of the back for me. I will definitely continue to do my beer shopping at your store.
4.7 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
22oz bottle cellared at least 1 year. aroma is burinng hot sour/tart note of shoes, socks and BO. strong rotten white wine. awesome head retention and burnished amber color, huge nucleation -- this bottle gushed as predicted by my mate gonzoillini right on cue, begging to escape the confines of its container. the ultimate treat is the crunchy candi end, ultra dry -- typically found only in unblended lambics and near perfect geuze. big raspberry flavor comes to the table and bends your facial expression with its sourness that begins to delve into club soda and then tonic water with its wild, uncontrollable dryness. perhaps the nearest perfect beer i will ever sample.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 20/20
UPDATED: DEC 20, 2009 Beer number seven in a killer July 09 Super Secret Sour State Line Tasting (SSSSLT) featuring (first to last by my counts): Supplication, Consecration, La Folie, Dissident, Cuvee de Castleton, Red Poppy, Lambic de Hill, Festina Lente, Panil. Poured a brownish reddish color with a nice little off-white colored head. The aroma was soft red/brown Flemish Sour type malts: cherries and some caramel, yeast. The flavor followed, dry cherries, very faint sour notes, full malt bill, Barley and bready notes throughout. Mildly sweet, a gourmet Duchesse (my cheap thrill, sugar-pop "sour ale"), done really nicely, but not an over-the-top pucker factor. Really freaking awesome. Thanks, Steve, a great one.
Re-rate, bottle from Bockyhorsey, Dec. 2009: Again, a very consistent experience, I blindly echoed a lot of the same stuff as I drank this. Maybe some brown sugar in the nice rich malt base, very balanced and complementary sourness. So good. Bready, brown sugar, and rich rich cherries in the malty base. Fantastic. Digging this stuff. Thanks, Bill, for yet another shot at this one.
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