Impossible Soul
The Rare Barrel

Impossible SoulImpossible Soul
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From:
The Rare Barrel
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
7.2%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 6.07%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
149
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 03, 2020
Added:
Aug 06, 2015
Wants:
  26
Gots:
  35
Impossible Soul is a golden sour beer aged in oak barrels with tart cherries and sweet cherries. Fermented with Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and some other special microorganisms, this blend displays notes of cherry preserves with hints of lemony tartness. At the heart of this beer lies an Impossible Soul: seductively tart, yet timidly sweet.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by suckaj:
Photo of suckaj
Rated by suckaj from Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jan 03, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.46/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
To be both rugged and refined seems to be an impossible feat. But the sour cherry ale of The Rare Barrel has personality traits that exhibit both. Deep down, right into the soul of the beer, a rustic but regal character is realized.

And so Impossible Soul pours with a hazy and tawny bronze; rising and falling swiftly into a rusty sherry appearance. A bold aromatic display of brandy soaked cherries tease the nose along with the musk of cellar-like scents. Citrus, wine, cider and tropical fruits ebb and flow throughout the perfume of funk and fauna. A scant sweetness glosses the tongue with sour candies, whole wheat and kiss of fructose.

Then the real fun starts as the sourness washes the malts from the tongue with ease, ushering a vast array of vinous fruits. Black cherry, red grape, black currant and blackberry command attention while the natural fermentae reveals a sharper underpinning of crabapple, lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange and gooseberry before trailing into a late palate of madeira and dry port. A mild and woodsy bitterness invites an sour and spicy taste hinging on balsamic and peppercorn.

Medium light in body and trending drier and spicier with vinous booze as the session endures, a finish of sherry warmth and umami savory flavors decorate the final frame while a medium length afterglow carries the essence of cherry and sherry wines once more.
Jan 03, 2020
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 8/2015. Pours slightly hazy golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus zest, peach, pear, green apple, melon, white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of honey, oaken vanilla, pepper, leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, cherries, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus zest, peach, pear, green apple, melon, white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread; with lighter notes of honey, oaken vanilla, pepper, leathery/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus zest, peach, pear, green apple, melon, white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leather/musty/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, cherries, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a nice malt/tart/sourness, and tangy fruit balance. Lightly increasing pucker through the glass, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/sourness, and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic, fairly tangy, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.2%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, cherries, oak barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on; despite the increasingly acidic/tangy/drying finish, not overly lactic. Outstanding presence of nicely jammy cherries; with balanced Brett/bacteria complexity, oak, and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. A highly enjoyable offering as expected.
Sep 22, 2018
 
Rated: 3.53 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jul 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Dec 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4.17 by BAsbill from California

Nov 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by teamwiggum from Wisconsin

Oct 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by Amp from Oklahoma

Oct 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by swanfungus from California

Jul 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by oline73 from Maryland

Jun 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by rodmanfor3 from Vermont

Jun 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.16 by Eziel from Ohio

May 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.32 by Marco_Gtz from California

Apr 28, 2017
Photo of Phil-Fresh
Reviewed by Phil-Fresh from California

4.41/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2015 Bottle.

A: Lots of cherries upfront – slightly sweet and moderately tart, coupled with moderate funk and wood.

A: Deep burgundy color, clear, with a moderate slightly off-white head that has adequate retention.

T: Complex cherry flavors, slightly sweet and moderately tart, coupled with a pronounced funk and moderate sourness that lingers through the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderately light carbonation. The beer has a moderately light, but pleasing acidity.

O: Awesome; the funk has become more pronounced as the beer ages and really complements the complex sweet/tart cherry component. Absolutely delicious and very easy to drink.
Apr 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by doremite from Vermont

Dec 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.24 by South2NW from Oregon

Dec 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.94 by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

Sep 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by emottram from Massachusetts

Sep 17, 2016
Photo of scottfrie
Reviewed by scottfrie from California

3.83/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
750ml bottle into tulip. Bottle from August 2015 release.

A: Pours a deep dark golden amber with a finger of fuzzy light pink head that quickly fizzed away into a faint collar.
S: Bright tart cherry notes and lactic acid dominate over hints of tannic skins and a subtle musty and earthy quality. I get a hint of vanilla and pepper as well.
T: The flavor is a cherry medley of sweet cherry juice mixed with whole tart cherries including tannic skins and pits. I say “mixed with” rather than “balanced by” because the tartness from the tart cherries and the lactic acid definitely overpower what little sweetness that is present. Still, the sweet cherry flavor is very juice-like and full of flavor. The finish is peppery, earthy, and musty, and contains the hint of vanilla or maybe cream that I was getting on the nose. The aftertaste is dry and full of gritty tannins along with lingering flavors of tart lemon juice.
M: Medium body, dry and tart mouthfeel, tingly carbonation. This beer is definitely on the tarter end of their spectrum, or maybe it’s just the cherries mixed with the acid.
O: A great tart cherry sour. Flavors are fairly straightforward, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. Definitely a tart sipper, but not overly acidic and in no way harsh.
Sep 01, 2016
Impossible Soul from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 149 ratings