Sirius Black
The Rare Barrel
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- American Wild Ale
- ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- 90
- Avg:
- 4.06 | pDev: 7.64%
- Reviews:
- 7
- Ratings:
- From:
- The Rare Barrel
- California, United States
- Avail:
- Retired (no longer brewed)
- Wants
- 14
- Gots
- 8
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
Notes:
Reviews: 7
| Ratings: 70
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3.93/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at his tasting.
2014 vintage. Blend No. 008.
Pours a hazy orange with a foamy bone head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour with grain, berry, acidic, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with sour fruit, acidic, and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with solid sour fruit qualities all around.
Serving type: bottle.
616 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at his tasting.
2014 vintage. Blend No. 008.
Pours a hazy orange with a foamy bone head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour with grain, berry, acidic, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with sour fruit, acidic, and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with solid sour fruit qualities all around.
Serving type: bottle.
616 characters
3.81/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Split with rudzud.
Sirius black
Pours a light fizzy head, mostly clear golden apricot color.
Nose lots sour, nice funk, sour malts, lacto funk, some fruity tropical like and big stone fruit, golden blond, big buttery oak barrel like butterscotch, little musty, just a touch of generic berry but no blackberry.
Taste is very sour, ridiculously sour, big sour funk, nice lacto flemmy sour funk and acidic bite, mild genetic sour stone fruit, again no real blackberry though, golden sour blond. Sticky slight flemmy finish, nice lingering sour, again no blackberry, but nice big acidic bite.
Mouth is med to lighter bod, little flemmy, nice acidity, bright carb.
Overall a nice golden sour blond but no blackberry unfortunately.
735 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Split with rudzud.
Sirius black
Pours a light fizzy head, mostly clear golden apricot color.
Nose lots sour, nice funk, sour malts, lacto funk, some fruity tropical like and big stone fruit, golden blond, big buttery oak barrel like butterscotch, little musty, just a touch of generic berry but no blackberry.
Taste is very sour, ridiculously sour, big sour funk, nice lacto flemmy sour funk and acidic bite, mild genetic sour stone fruit, again no real blackberry though, golden sour blond. Sticky slight flemmy finish, nice lingering sour, again no blackberry, but nice big acidic bite.
Mouth is med to lighter bod, little flemmy, nice acidity, bright carb.
Overall a nice golden sour blond but no blackberry unfortunately.
735 characters
3.91/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Split with JLindros.
A - Poured into a clear amber hue with a thin head that fades to leave thin wisps.
S - Aromas of pleasant golden ale, nice light stone fruit, super light blackberry. Some nice buttery oak.
T - Taste is light sour blonde, light stone fruit, soft light blackberry, little oak tannins. Butter notes have faded some, decent sour notes.
M - Mouthfeel is lightly flemmy, nice carbonation.
O - Overall this beer was tasty, however, there are no blackberries. A shame as this would be incredible with berry.
Serving type: bottle
551 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Split with JLindros.
A - Poured into a clear amber hue with a thin head that fades to leave thin wisps.
S - Aromas of pleasant golden ale, nice light stone fruit, super light blackberry. Some nice buttery oak.
T - Taste is light sour blonde, light stone fruit, soft light blackberry, little oak tannins. Butter notes have faded some, decent sour notes.
M - Mouthfeel is lightly flemmy, nice carbonation.
O - Overall this beer was tasty, however, there are no blackberries. A shame as this would be incredible with berry.
Serving type: bottle
551 characters
3.43/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Orange with a light reddish hue. Small white head. Very thin collar.
Smell - Berry and some stone fruit. A little bit of oak. Pale malt.
Taste - Sour. Stone fruit. Pale malts and oak. Not as much berry. Maybe a little bit in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and medium body.
Overall - It's ok, but not very exciting or distinct. None of the flavors really dominate.
439 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Orange with a light reddish hue. Small white head. Very thin collar.
Smell - Berry and some stone fruit. A little bit of oak. Pale malt.
Taste - Sour. Stone fruit. Pale malts and oak. Not as much berry. Maybe a little bit in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation and medium body.
Overall - It's ok, but not very exciting or distinct. None of the flavors really dominate.
439 characters
3.85/5 rDev -5.2%
Some funky aroma, good fruit in the middle, odd finish. Individually the parts are there they just don't harmonize. What a surprise to me that they nailed a vanilla and cinnamon sour (Home, Sour Home - one of my favorites of theirs), which sounds like it'd be a mess but was brilliant, but fell short on an oak barrel blackberry beer. Side by side with Nocturn Chrysalis, NC had a much brighter fruit flavor, color, and integration. No knock on Rare Barrel - they're still young - but this isn't one of their best offerings.
524 characters
Some funky aroma, good fruit in the middle, odd finish. Individually the parts are there they just don't harmonize. What a surprise to me that they nailed a vanilla and cinnamon sour (Home, Sour Home - one of my favorites of theirs), which sounds like it'd be a mess but was brilliant, but fell short on an oak barrel blackberry beer. Side by side with Nocturn Chrysalis, NC had a much brighter fruit flavor, color, and integration. No knock on Rare Barrel - they're still young - but this isn't one of their best offerings.
524 characters
4.19/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2014 release. Tulip glass.
Pours a clear, burnt orange with a half finger of bright white, picture perfect head. Very good retention and some dots of lacing. Aroma is a blend of blackberry and medium-plus toast oak, orange/citrus, a touch of smoke and vanilla. Juicy blackberry, bright lemon zest, a touch of vanilla, finishing off dry with a mild puckering sensation. Soft, light carbonation and medium-light body, complementing the taste nicely. Overall, a really tasty, drinkable, light to moderately sour beer with balanced flavor.
542 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2014 release. Tulip glass.
Pours a clear, burnt orange with a half finger of bright white, picture perfect head. Very good retention and some dots of lacing. Aroma is a blend of blackberry and medium-plus toast oak, orange/citrus, a touch of smoke and vanilla. Juicy blackberry, bright lemon zest, a touch of vanilla, finishing off dry with a mild puckering sensation. Soft, light carbonation and medium-light body, complementing the taste nicely. Overall, a really tasty, drinkable, light to moderately sour beer with balanced flavor.
542 characters
3.69/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On-tap at TRB.
A: Served a rich tangerine-golden color with a finger of dense off-white head. The most interesting thing about this beer to me is that the blackberries did not stain the beer purple.
S: The nose is light and tart smelling with bright notes of acid and hints of stone fruits, spice, and musty oak.
T: The fruit is more stone fruit and golden fruits to me than blackberry, but I do get notes of ripe berries in the finish. The tartness is berry-like as well, but the usual bright lemon acidity is right there too. I also get notes of apricot, apple, lemon, mild spice, and grains. The blackberry is subtle, but it comes through more (still in the finish) as the beer warms. The aftertaste is slightly sweet and does have a subtle jammy blackberry quality to it.
M: Medium body, fluffy and tingly carbonation, with a tart and drying mouthfeel. Biting acid and tannins cling to my throat after each swallow.
O: A mellow and easy going beer that is good for what it is, but don't expect an in your face blackberry sour. The berries are definitely subtle, and I'm not sure I'd know they were there if I wasn't told. There is enough of the flavor to make this beer unique though, and if recommend it to anyone who is a fan of TRB.
1,240 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On-tap at TRB.
A: Served a rich tangerine-golden color with a finger of dense off-white head. The most interesting thing about this beer to me is that the blackberries did not stain the beer purple.
S: The nose is light and tart smelling with bright notes of acid and hints of stone fruits, spice, and musty oak.
T: The fruit is more stone fruit and golden fruits to me than blackberry, but I do get notes of ripe berries in the finish. The tartness is berry-like as well, but the usual bright lemon acidity is right there too. I also get notes of apricot, apple, lemon, mild spice, and grains. The blackberry is subtle, but it comes through more (still in the finish) as the beer warms. The aftertaste is slightly sweet and does have a subtle jammy blackberry quality to it.
M: Medium body, fluffy and tingly carbonation, with a tart and drying mouthfeel. Biting acid and tannins cling to my throat after each swallow.
O: A mellow and easy going beer that is good for what it is, but don't expect an in your face blackberry sour. The berries are definitely subtle, and I'm not sure I'd know they were there if I wasn't told. There is enough of the flavor to make this beer unique though, and if recommend it to anyone who is a fan of TRB.
1,240 characters
Sirius Black from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating:
90 out of
100 with
70 ratings
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