Cocoa Rojo
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

pretty cool beer right here, some 2017 vintage kegs floating around in boise right now, what a mature and special beverage this is, a little more approachable than a lot of other cascade stuff, believe it or not, especially for a sour red base, which for them usually are so sour they hurt the teeth. in this instance, its a little toned down, but dosed with a lot of cocoa, dried elderberries, and spices, pretty unique combination of flavors. i get dark chocolate, organic and pure, baking chocolate, dry and bitter, light anise and black pepper earthy spiciness, medicinal tangy fruit, raspberry, sour cherry, and even cranberry, red wine, port wine, walnut, leather, and oak, really compelling, and the aroma and the flavor are about identical. the red base is amazing for all this stuff too, its vinous, tangy but not egregiously acidic, and is full of dried fruit and wood character, some neat funk to it as well, and its lighter than a lot of their beers, not a big heavy body, not a lot of leftover malt sweetness either, and on the whole very refined. i like the light astringency and raisin quality of the elderberries, super compatible with this sour red, and the low end of the cocoa is really cool, never sweet either, very honest for being this bold. trace cinnamon, clove, and white pepper as it warms, lots of jammy red wine, and maybe just a light alcohol waft, this is not super strong. not really highly carbonated, but with the tang it doesnt need to be, it moves at the right pace. really dynamic and flavorful brew thats oaky, fruity, spicy, autumnal, and quite regal. one of the best from cascade in recent memory, super impressive!

on draft at the brewery in Portland

appears very dark brown in color, cream colored head. As it warms, aroma of cocoa powder becomes very apparent, on top of figs and earthy spice. thin to medium bodied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the brewery: "Red ale aged in black mission figs, then blended with sour chocolate stout."

Great idea, great execution. More body and complexity than their fruit sours.