Cosmic Dust
The Rare Barrel

Cosmic DustCosmic Dust
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
The Rare Barrel
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
Ranked #201
ABV:
5.4%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,195
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 7.29%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
201
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 05, 2024
Added:
Mar 15, 2014
Wants:
  50
Gots:
  21
Golden sour aged in oak with hibiscus.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Enochase04:
Photo of Enochase04
Rated by Enochase04 from Ohio

4.44/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Feb 05, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of rand
Reviewed by rand from California

4.71/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
On tap at BLAH SD for their 15th Anniversary/Cellarmaker takeover.

Beautiful light ruby appearance, wispy head never fully disappears. Nose is of unripe berry, holiday spice, oak.

Gently sour on the palate, berry-forward. Oaky as hell, smooth. Getting this grape-y/wine thing toward the finish, which is clean and quick.

Absolutely stunning beverage.
Feb 05, 2024
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Faintly foggy burnt gold with a thin white head.

A touch of Altoids accents a potent sourness before a bitter florality brings us to a scratchy dry finish.
Nov 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by DaveCash from New York

Sep 17, 2022
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
6 oz mini-snifter pour at Lures Bar & Grille. Pours a slightly hazy pink with a small head. Aroma and flavor feature oak barrel tannins, tart berries, fairly heavy funk, moderate acidity, and maybe a hint of floral hibiscus (but not as much as I was anticipating - which is fine as I'm not a huge hibiscus fan, either in beer or tea). Dry, moderately carbonated mouthfeel. Overall a great wild sour ale.
Aug 10, 2022
Photo of NorCalYeti
Rated by NorCalYeti from California

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Fruit punch in a glass. Weird waxy aroma in the nose along with bubblegum. Beautiful color. Purchased September 2021 for $11.00 at the brewery.
Sep 25, 2021
Photo of bobv
Reviewed by bobv from Vermont

4.44/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12.7 ounce bottle received to VT distro this week.

Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch pink head over a dark reddish-purple body with sheets of lacing.
Nose of citrus and a bit of sweetness with the floral/herbal attributes of hibiscus wafting in and out.
Wonderful taste of slightly tart citrus with the sweet and sour flavors of hibiscus.
Finishing nicely tart and dry.
Very nice feel for the style and highly recommend seeking this latest batch out!!
Cheers!!!
Sep 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.16 by dsshuck from Delaware

Jul 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.01 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Dec 30, 2020
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Magenta clean pour. Oak and hibiscus in smell and taste, but nothing else much, save a passing lacto cherry or lemon zest. Body is thinner, yet decently sour and oaky. Just doesn't have any second level, very simple and subdued, light crispness. Nectar like
Dec 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Dec 11, 2020
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Bought from Tavour, it appears that I am the first review of the 2020 re-release. This probably is not entirely fair; given I am not partial to Wilds. But, I'd like to think I'm not biased and can appreciate when a brewer truly knows how to make this finicky style. It seems Rare Barrel does. Although many reviews from the 2014 release indicate this is below Rare Barrel's norm. Hopefully, they improved this recipe.

I like pink Looks and Cosmic Dust is. Smells are tart, mostly lemon, some herbal hibiscus. Tastes also lead with the tart and the citrus and then some earthy berry that grows on a low bush, like strawberry. Finishing nicely tart, its medium body and light bubbles let what is good in this Wild shine.

My first from Rare Barrel, they get one of my quickie brewer reviews. While not a student of Wilds, these guys seem like one of the pioneers who specialized in the style and set its standard. If you really want to geek-out on the sour for five minutes, see the video on their website, "The Search for The Rare Barrel." As for me, I just might visit for lunch the next time I am in Berkeley, my old stomping grounds as a student and culinary, still, hotspot for culinary innovation.
Oct 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4.75 by jvillefan from California

Apr 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.22 by mltobin from Connecticut

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by BAsbill from California

Nov 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by reebtaerG from Maryland

Jan 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by suckaj from Florida

Oct 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by Futbolmanby from Michigan

Oct 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by Stillyman11 from California

Oct 09, 2016
Cosmic Dust from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 201 ratings