-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Becoming
The Rare Barrel
- From:
- The Rare Barrel
- California, United States
- Style:
- Wild Ale
Ranked #156 - ABV:
- 5.7%
- Score:
- 95
Ranked #1,907 - Avg:
- 4.28 | pDev: 7.01%
- Reviews:
- 11
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 15, 2023
- Added:
- Oct 11, 2014
- Wants:
- 9
- Gots:
- 18
Becoming is a golden sour beer aged in oak barrels with boysenberries. Fermented with Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, and Lactobacillus, this blend has metamorphosed from a golden ale into a beautiful ruby sour beer, displaying notes reminiscent of berries and red wine. It's luminous appearance and flavor will rouse your senses and become more alluring with each sip.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bvermilion:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina
4.5/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured into a tulip to a purplish beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky two fingers of faintly pink head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of juicy boysenberries, sourness, and some oak.
T: Taste is boysenberries and some leather up front with a touch of funk along with some oak and building sourness. On the finish there's more boysenberries, light funk, oak, and lingering tartness.
M: This beer has a body which is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is effervescent and adequate while the beer has a drying finish due to the acidity.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer. Great flavors and a decent amount of complexity while also demonstrating some balance.
Dec 15, 2023S: Smells of juicy boysenberries, sourness, and some oak.
T: Taste is boysenberries and some leather up front with a touch of funk along with some oak and building sourness. On the finish there's more boysenberries, light funk, oak, and lingering tartness.
M: This beer has a body which is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is effervescent and adequate while the beer has a drying finish due to the acidity.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer. Great flavors and a decent amount of complexity while also demonstrating some balance.
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4.2/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2015 vintage bottling. Pours lightly hazy deep golden/orange, slight reddish/pinkish color, with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, fruit skin/seeds, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, red/green apple, melon, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and bread; with lighter notes of pepper, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, fruit skin/seeds, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, red/green apple, melon, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and bread; with lighter notes of pepper, leathery/musty/lacto funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang; and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of our/tart/tangy blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, fruit skin/seeds, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, red/green apple, melon, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, bread, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/sourness and tangy fruit balance; with minimal puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/sourness and tangy fruit. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy, fairly crisp, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6.3%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, boysenberries, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/drying finish, not overly lactic. Very jammy boysenberries and balanced Brett/lacto complexity; nice pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity, and oak presence. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing spot on style example as expected.
Oct 06, 2018
Becoming from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating:
95 out of
100 with
121 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!