The Rapture
HopCat

Reviewed from notes. Shared by Richard on 1-14-12.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle from klipper. Thanks dude! Served in a random glass at Edward's Labor Day cookout.

A - Tan foam settles to not much; there's maybe a thin collar. Murky purple-brown body looks a lot like plums.

S - Very sour and oaky, with acetic plum vinegar, funky cheese, hints of bourbon, and a slightly rancid note to it. It's not a very subtle beer and the flavors seem to be fighting a bit, but it's improved since the last time I had this.

T - The taste is a fair bit sweeter, with more of the fruit and malt base showing up and less acetic sourness. There's a more lemony lactic vibe, as well as some oak and a slight carbonic seltzer flavor as well. Bourbon is pretty mild, and the vinous plum flavors are more suggestive of wine barrels. Alcohol seems to have mellowed since last summer. More of a 3.75 here, so I'll be tough elsewhere.

M - Medium-bodied, with zesty carbonation, moderate acidity, and a dry tannic finish. Not much alcohol warmth either.

D - This has gotten a fair bit better since when I first had it, but it's still not a particularly great American Wild. It gets very acidic quickly and it's a bit lacking in integration. However, as a 'first' attempt at a sour it's solid, albeit rough around the edges.

Big thanks goes out to 67couple for sharing this one at a recent tasting! Bottle #149! Served from bottle into a Boulevard tulip. Poured murky brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, sour, tart, acidic, and wood. The flavor was of sweet malt, sour, tart, acidic, vanilla, wood, and plums. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. I was a little off-put on this one as to what to think of it. There was so much going on that it really all seemed to run together and overpower other aspects going on. I don’t know what the brewer’s goal was with this one, but I’m sure this was not it. This definitely hurt the drinkability of it. However, the aroma was quite pleasant and well balanced. This could have been a really nice brew if the flavor followed along with the notes of the aroma. Worth trying to judge for yourself at least once.

 

Thanks for the bottle, Derek.

Pours a murky amber color with an off-white head. Tart fruits are present on the nose, especially plums and raisins. There’s a definite acetic quality as well as perhaps some port or sweet red wine. The flavor is a bit leathery and has a strong balsamic note. Some more heavy red wine character and similar dark fruit notes. Definitely acetic, but not bracingly sour. Medium body with low to medium carbonation.