Apricot Ale
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

Apricot AleApricot Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #81
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
96
Ranked #867
Avg:
4.34 | pDev: 8.06%
Reviews:
320
Ratings:
1,820
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 06, 2024
Added:
Apr 18, 2008
Wants:
  441
Gots:
  392
This NW style sour blond ale was barrel aged for up to nine months, then aged on fresh apricot for an additional six months. Aromas of sweet apricot blossoms and tart fruit are present as you draw the glass near. Deep, rich apricot flesh, then tart apricot notes dance on the palate and lead to a sweet apricot flesh finish with a lingering fruit tartness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

2.96/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Purchased at Plonk in Fyshwick in August 2023 and drunk in January 2024.

L: Clear golden amber in the glass with no head whatsoever. Large bubbles in a few separate columns work their way rapidly up the glass.

S: Sour mash, oak, and overripe, fermenting fruit lying on the orchard floor.

T: Sour, lactic tarntess. Some hint of wood and oak but no hint of apricot on the swallow. On consideration, it does come retronasally, but often not until the second breath. That said, I'm searching for it and only just getting it. Otherwise, the beer is very tart; too much so, in my opinion.

M: The mouthfeel is quite soft, but it definitely bites on the swallow and then on the way down.

O: I think this one is a miss. I'm not a fan of sours, but I try to be unbiased in my reviews, and even with my unbiased pants on this is still too sour and lacks any real presence of the supposed headline act of the beer.

Cheers!
#430
Jan 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.4 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by doctorgary from New York

Nov 10, 2023
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a cloudy honey gold with a finger of head that dissipates to a thin ring with a little lacing. Aroma of apricot and tart apricot. Taste follows nose. Wonderful.
Jun 04, 2023
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

4.21/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Rated in 2016 and gave it an overall of 3.58.

Thought I'd give it another go. 2009 bottling.

Uncorked bottle and lost half of contents to it be a gusher. Ugh.

Cloudy pale rose color. Medium nose. Fruity Flanders red style. Taste was A LOT more balanced. Nice stone fruit presence. Thirst quenching, Drinkable and much more palatable.

Okay, came back to bump up my score. It's growing on me...
Mar 28, 2023
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

4.02/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
13 oz snifter draft pour at Lures Bar & Grille. Pours a hazy creamy yellow with an off-white head. Aroma and flavor feature sour apricots, oak, tannins, leather funk, clean malt, and tons of acidity. VERY sour. Mouthfeel is prickly and astringent. Overall it's tasty but a bit unbalanced.
Sep 21, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Jul 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by leinie13 from Ohio

Apr 23, 2022
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

3.73/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
375ml (corked and caged) bottled 2017. Opened 6-20-20.
Small pop and hiss upon opening.
Small white head that disappears quickly. No lacing.
Bright, golden apricot flesh color and fully opaque.
Vinous aroma, oak barrel, and muted apricot fruit initially.
Bracing acid, tart and bright fruit and just a hint of powdery funk. The apricot becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. Overall the warmer it gets the less sharp and more flavorful/enjoyable it gets.
Medium body, low plus carbonation. Lengthy, high acid finish.
Very Good.
Jun 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.2 by hopley from Massachusetts

May 03, 2021
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Cascade is one of the few U.S. sour brewers that I regularly enjoy. I have no idea why. 750ML C&C bottle/2015 project split with my wife.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention I picked up this bottle at HyVee for $5 on clearance. Because why not? The pour is unalloyed gold with plenty of life with a nose of what? Tart apricots. That’s just a guess.

Apricot Ale is a sharp, simple beast. Nitric acid puckers the palate & the barrels team up to cause arid mouth syndrome. Apricot is subtle but runs throughout. Light & airy. This glass is going to do me just fine, but it’s the rare sour I can consume more than one of.

Not Cascade’s best work, but perhaps the apricot is just not enough to stand up to the microbes. Still a good solid brew.
Apr 17, 2021
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
500 ML bottle
Served in a sour glass
2017

This beer pours a hazy yellow color. It is topped with a fleeting tan head that leaves no lacing.

The smell is pretty damn amazing. I get funk, dank basement, and an acidic Flanders ale smell. There is tart apricot. This is what I want sours to smell like.

Tart and acidic. The apricot helps cut the acidity but only so much. It has that wonderful dank basement and funk flavor. The sourness is puckering, and I love it.

Light bodied with a dry mouthfeel

I picked this up at a local store off the 1/2 off shelf. I am pissed that I didn't buy them all. I hope someone doesn't beat me to it. Great stuff!
Apr 10, 2021
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

3.86/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.

Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention while leaving lots of nice lacing.

Aroma: Tart, apricot, oak, hay, lime zest, light funk.

Taste: Sour, very sour, tart, apricot, hay, dust, wood, oak, lemon zest.

Mouthfeel: Moderately sharp, medium bodied, with moderate carbonation.

Overall: The flavours were enjoyable, but it was just too sour, and coupled with the acidity, it was just a bit too much for any easy drinking but good for sipping.
Dec 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by BltByKrmn from New York

Nov 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.44 by eagles22 from Pennsylvania

Jul 02, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Pearlstreetbrewingco from Florida

Jun 01, 2020
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
This is one I prob should have had fresh, but alas it became a cellar beer. 2008 vintage, so hopefully it held up.

Pours with no carbonation and no head, the cork looked dried out so prob lost it's carb over time, very clear iced-tea orange-brown copper color with tiny floaties

Nose is quite nice, not much for fruit but plenty of sour funk, big bacteria souring and acidity, acetic and lactic acids, little barnyard funk, getting a touch vinegary, with some buttery oak still there, and a bit of candied stone fruit in the background, some malty aromas as well

Taste brings more of the malt and sourness, a bit of a sweet candy malt and caramelized sugars, with some candied apricot, not a ton, a bit of alcohol but not much, souring bacteria again with mild acetic acid, maybe lactic but hard to tell, light barnyard funk, a little malt vinegar, into some buttery oak as well, mild tart flemmy finish, lingering sourness, malt and candied fruit

Mouth is med bod, a little fuller touch syrupy, med acidity and funk, low to almost no carb, light alcohol warmth

Overall not bad, definitely an enjoyable sour, but apricot is mostly gone as expected. If I'm ever out there again I'll def have to try this fresh, provided there aren't 20 other beers I need to try like last time I went.
May 09, 2020
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

4.42/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2015 bottle.

A - Pours clear orange to the dregs, a pretty sight, with a moderate white head, some thin lacing.

S - Acidity with punchy apricot lushness, a hint of funk.

T - Bright sourness, a mild fruit hit, a subtle minerality, and just a hint of sweet apricot that lingers in the close.

M - Mild carbonation and prickly acidity, closing with a slick long tail.

O - A superb sour, delivering a solid bright core, and lush fruit.
Mar 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4.53 by BubbleBobble from New York

Feb 11, 2020
Apricot Ale from Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 1820 ratings