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Impossible Soul
The Rare Barrel
- From:
- The Rare Barrel
- California, United States
- Style:
- Wild Ale
- ABV:
- 7.2%
- Score:
- 95
- Avg:
- 4.28 | pDev: 6.07%
- Reviews:
- 16
- Ratings:
- 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:
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
4.1/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Jan 03, 2016
More User Ratings:
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
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, 2020And 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.
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, 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, 2018Reviewed by Phil-Fresh from California
4.41/5 rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
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, 2017A: 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.
Reviewed by scottfrie from California
3.83/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
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, 2016A: 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.
Impossible Soul from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating:
95 out of
100 with
149 ratings
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