Midnight Bramble
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

2016 vintage
Pours a fizzy bubbly smaller head with low retention and a bit of lacing, fairly clear cranberry to auburn almost chestnut red color

Nose brings a ton of juicy bramble berry, raspberry and black-raspberry, tart as well with some funk and acidic bacteria souring, a touch of a vanilla barrel note, some thyme herb way in the background, funky, tart

Taste comes on very sour, bright acidity and mouth watering sour, tart funk, acidic bacteria, big thyme and my brain also wants to find sage, don't get much ginger although a hint of spicy ginger late, plenty of juicy bramble, raspberry and a bit blackberry, like freshly squeezed berry juice, a faint seed like tannin, very light vanilla oak, a bit creamy, flemmy finish with lingering tart acidity

Mouth is med bod, very sour tart acidic and fair flemmy, med to a bit lower carb

Overall quite nice, I was worried the ginger would ruin it a bit, but seemed to barely be there, not sure if that was on purpose or time mellowed it, the thyme though was nice as it accented the background sour and big juicy bramble berry which was also a nice surprise, generally good beer as usual from the Cascade series.

On tap at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Deep red colour, moderate to small pink head. Distinct aroma of ripe raspberries and bramble, also farmhouse notes. Sour flavour of raspberries and bramble, also notes of lemons. The ginger and thyme are very subdued.

L: A darker red-brown flavor.
S: Light, strong raspberry flavor.
T: A stronger Bottleworks XIV with very sharp puckery sour raspberry with strong but subdued ginger and Thyme at the end.
F: A very strong raspberry with lemony ginger flavor.
O: A very smooth berry and ginger combo unique for Cascade.

2016 vintage

750 mL Bottle. ABV 6.6%.
Appearance: cherry red, clear, half a finger of light tan head, little retention, no cap or collar remaining, soft carbonation,
Aroma: bramble fruit (blackberry, black and red raspberry), Raspberry juice, jammy, cherry, Oak, slight thyme, not sure I get the ginger, slightly sweaty, mouthwatering, A
Mouthfeel:
Flavour: sour! Wow. Thyme, sight ginger
Overall:

Review: 175

 

 

Cascade Midnight Bramble
10oz pour
On draft at the Pour House Tampa, FL
Drank several months ago but review was done while consuming.


A: Ruby, tan head, decent retention, lots of lacing. 4.75

S: Aroma is fantastic. Tons of fruit, lots of sour notes, there are some unique characters that I can’t place but add to the profile nicely. 4.75

T: Very sour, lots of fruit, oaky, delicious. 4.5

M/D: Medium body, heavy carbonation is appropriate, drink ability is good. 4.75

O: Fantastic beer. 4.75

Classic cascade tart and sour finish. Just love their work in that regard. This one is more than a tart bomb though, bringing in the earthiness of the thyme and ginger to cut into the very berry complexion. Wine is felt most in foretaste, setting a little more boozey note before the sweet and tart. That being said it feel like it is one piece away from greatness, but I will happily settle for very, berry, good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2018, Blue Session. Ruby color with pinkish head. Aroma has spicy notes, prunes and other fermented fruits. Taste is sour, puckering with spicy berry seeds and plum preserve flavor.

On the lowest tier of the Cascade Barrel sours we tried, but that's still high praise. A bit on the bubblegum side of a big raspberry-addition thing (don't think the ginger helps this) but the thyme is an inspired end-note, reining things in a bit.