Gifted Branch
The Rare Barrel

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From:
The Rare Barrel
 
California, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.37 | pDev: 6.18%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
57
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 10, 2021
Added:
Aug 18, 2016
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  18
Golden sour beer aged in oak barrels with bushels of peaches and a dash of apricots. We formed layers of bright stonefruit character by blending a unique mix of microorganisms with our fondness for apricots and peaches.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by acurtis:
Photo of acurtis
Rated by acurtis from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Mar 20, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of IKR
Reviewed by IKR from California

4.08/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2020 Vintage; 7.7% ABV

Appearance: Very mildly cloudy straw-yellow color with a modest sized white head that quickly faded.

Smell: Mild peach and fruit aromas and mild barnyard funk. Fairly mild nose.

Taste: Tart peach and apricot notes dominate the flavor profile. Just the mildest hint of sweetness but the beer has a dry finish ending on some tart peach and citrus notes.

Mouth-feel: Fairly light-bodied with a medium level of carbonation. The beer's mouthfeel is right where it needs to be.

Overall: A good fruited Wild Ale. The fruit notes do not lead to a sweet fruity finish but fit nicely in the flavor profile which is refreshingly dry.
Aug 10, 2021
Photo of BerryKumquat
Reviewed by BerryKumquat from California

4.07/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
L: Generic light blonde ale color.
S: Strong fruity notes.
T: A slow start into a rich apricot/peach flavor into an overly dry finish.
F: A good peach/apricot beer.
O: A simple unique fruit beer that needs a bit of refinement for the finish.
Dec 11, 2020
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured into a Duvel tulip to a clear and bright golden yellow which is topped by a finger of dense white head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of tons of sour peaches and apricots with a light oak undertone along with hints of maltyness.
T: Taste is juicy and sour peaches and apricots up front with some warm oak and hints of bready malt along with a touch of funk. On the swallow it's more juicy stone fruits and sourness with some slight lingering oak and a hint of funk.
M: This beer has a body which is on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is slightly effervescent while the beer has a drying finish due to the acidity.
O: Overall this beer is awesome. Great sourness, great flavors, and a decent amount of complexity make this one worth drinking on a hot summer day. It represents the style well and is definitely worth chasing down if you can find it.
Jun 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.31 by nataku00 from California

Jan 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by vfgccp from New York

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Beerbom from California

Jun 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.12 by Kurmaraja from California

May 10, 2019
 
Rated: 3.95 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Oct 22, 2018
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.09/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this at Sour Sunday at Triple Rock Brewing on February 11, 2018. I was intrigued by the apricot and peaches, my two favorite fruits in a beer, on top of that, this is the brewery that makes map of the sun/moon, a phenomenal apricot beer, and what I consider to be the best of Rare Barrel.

This one pours golden but influenced by the orangeish fruit pulp providing a slight haze. Small 1/4" white head. The aroma indeed kicks down plenty of lemon, apricot and peach smells and sourness.

Taste is an easy drinking, somewhat higher end acidity kind of stonefruit wild ale. Well carbonated. Light golden body pale malt provides just a vessel to deliver everything else essentially. I don't think its quite as good as map of the sun/moon, but it is still very enjoyable. The real question is, would I buy bottles of it? I dunno, Rare Barrel seems to want $23-25 for most beers. . . Filmishmish or Cascade Apricot are $16-20 usually. Good beer, but prolly not buying bottles since I have lots of just as good apricot beers that can be acquired cheaper and easier.
Aug 02, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
some of the first i have seen of rare barrel on tap in colorado, awesome, i hope more of it comes along as well. this one is a golden sour base aged in oak with peaches and apricots, and its one of the best beers i have had from these guys ever. just a little haze from the tap, bright and shiny and brassy, with a fizzy white head and an aroma that immediately makes my mouth water. its complex as can be with fresh juicy yellow peach right away, dried apricot fuzziness, and unique acidity, more than just a lacto tang, lemony and orangey and super enhancing of the fruit. some white wine woodiness and tannins in the back, this is so sexy! the flavor is almost as good as the nose, with the peaches well in front of the apricots, but both quite obvious and natural and distinct. the exact right amount of sweetness left from these ripe fruits, and a perfect acidic tang on the back end, not nearly as caustic and aggressive as so many of the other rare barrel beers i have had. great carbonation and a lot of lift there, lively and fun, so flavorful and honest, just really expert beer. i adored this, and hope for more of its kind from these guys. simple in some ways, old worldy and rustic and just so well refined. top notch.
Apr 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.81 by jvillefan from California

Apr 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by oline73 from Maryland

Apr 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.35 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Jan 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dizzy242 from Massachusetts

Nov 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Oct 21, 2017
Photo of Nicolaiw
Reviewed by Nicolaiw from Denmark

4.44/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours light orange / golden with a small white head, disappears right away.
Aroma has sour lemons, apricots, peaches, hay, barnyard, oak, passion fruit, little funk.
Taste is much more fruity than the aroma, tons of apricots, peaches, raspberry, sour lemons.
Oct 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.6 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Oct 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ryannotbryan from Texas

Jul 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by PA-Michigander from Pennsylvania

Jul 23, 2017
Gifted Branch from The Rare Barrel
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 57 ratings