Cascade Sang Royal

Brewed by Cascade Brewing @ Raccoon Lodge
Style: Sour Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Draft for Sourfest 2009 at Brouwer’s for SBW. Pours a dark amber brown and light head. There’s a great sour fruit and nicely balanced wood. A bit fizzy, but otherwise clean. Much more complex as it warmed. This is another great one from Cascade.

GABF 2009: between GABF sessions and Dr. Bill’s tasting, I think I drank more of this beer than any other over the GABF weekend. Pours a muddy reddish brown color with a full, fluffy light brown head. Nose is a nice, sweet, cherry vinious dark complex thing, i must say. Flavors pretty much reiterate that nose...sour cherry, dark malt complexities, clean as can be...tart as fuck and lovely.

Sampled at GABF 2009. Muddy brown pour. Sour, funky, oak, and tart cherry aroma. Very tart lemon flavor with a slightly vinegary taste as well. Exceptional.

Bottle @ The Trappist. Poured a dark ruby. Nose is cellar, acidic tartness mixed with unripe fruits, oak and some wine. Flavor is a sharp acidity, chardonnay, some sweet cherries, tart fruitiness, plums and sherry. Finishes dry with some sweet fruit undertones. This is an amazing beer. Refreshing, tart and easy drinking. I went through 3 bottles during my visit.

Bottle @ Paul’s big thanks to Reuben for the share. Ruby brown pour with some tan head. Cherry, citrus, brett, and flavors and aroma. Very nice, cascade sours are awesome.

Bottle, c&c, from Ledger’s. Pours a dark ruby (halogen light) with a sort of fizzy beige/tan head that didn’t last all that long. Overwhelming aroma of cherry and sour. Near medium body with fizzy carbonation. The flavor is cherry, oak, tart fruit. It is astringent, and arguably more than a little funky. Certainly a great sour ale.

GABF ’09. This is the best of the Cascade offerings that I was able to try. Lovely deep red color with a medium, loose, light pink head. Aroma is sweet and earthy with ripe cherries, dark sourness, and a hint of sweet red wine. Flavor is sweet-tart with a lot of freshness in addition to some barrel-aged oxidative characteristics. Cherry pit flavors (a combination of fresh cherries and port barrels) are predominant and contributes a slight tannic quality to the body as well. Everything is smooth and balanced, deftly hiding the alcohol contents, and making for a very refreshing drinking experience.

Pours ruby-tinged mahogany into a tumbler. Off-white micro head with excellent retention leaves spider lacing. Sour cherry aromas. Tart and refreshing with sour cherry and oak from front to back. Lasting port finish.