Blue Verbena
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

 

Whew this is one really delicious beer! Definitely pick up notes of OAK, bursting berries, lemongrass & tea. I was worried about these guys with the sale but am super confident in the new ownership group. This is my second "new" beer from Cascade and both have been big hits. Am personally digging the new small can 4-pack and 500ml formats too. Much more approachable than a bomber; although my local shop still have a couple Figaro bottles with my name on them.

 

really good new one in the can, sour ale in oak with blueberries and lemon verbena, a splendid combination of ingredients, well dosed too, both are front and center and they are wonderous together. i have been loving these cans, and the prices. this is pink and fizzy, pretty clear, with a quickly receding white head. the aroma is immediately tart but not harsh or too acidic, well short of the vinegar range, and the tannins of the blueberries seem to add an additional tartness, very real, not so sweet, mouthwatering, with the bright herbal verbena there with it, vinous and citrusy and sexy. the flavor is the same, not a whole lot from the grain here, very light in that regard and very light in body, but lots of oak character, clean sourness, tangy berries and tea-like herbal freshness. i think the verbena makes this special, takes the blueberries somewhere new and makes the finish extremely unique, also makes the whole thing seem kind of delicate for a cascade sour, which can often be pretty intense and abrasive. that fresh springy element really adds a lot. i love all the bubbles, the tidy finish, and especially the relationship between the fruit and the herb. this is not to be missed, one of the best cascade beers ive had in awhile!