Small Acts
The Rare Barrel

L: Pours a cloudy lemon straw yellow with a medium fizzy white head and no lacing on the glass.

S: Lemon, Brett funk, notes of honeydew, cucumber, a light sourness, fresh grass, a light cracker malt underneath.

T: Lemon, Brett funk, honeydew, a bit of cucumber, a light tart and sourness, some fresh grass, followed by a light cracker malt. This is a very pleasant low alcohol beer.

F: Light on the tongue, lower carbonation.

O: This is a very pleasant and drinkable light beer.

Bottle from Jonah’s bachelor party and wedding.
Pours a semi-clear light gold with creamy white head that lingers and has wonderful lacing, smell is lemon zest, sour grape skins, with some floral/pollen and wet hay, taste follows the nose with sour citrus and grape flesh sweetness that transitions to pollen/flower petals with a nice grassy finish, light and bright, well carbonated. A class act/ lip smack-t.... a floral sour delight.

Look: This beer pours a hazy, translucent, pale straw color. A lively beer, with many streams of tiny bubbles rising to the surface. A bone white head that disappears with no lacing. A lot of sediment pours from the bottle.

Smell: Pear, honeydew, peach, grassy, herbal, crackery, hay. The yeast presence is delicate, but complex, with soft phenolic, fruity, floral, barnyard notes all playing together.

Taste: Slightly tart, dry and tannic on the palate. Upfront notes of peach juice, peach skin, lemon zest, lemon juice acidity and watered down white vinegar. Some saison earth and spice.

Feel: Moderately carbonated, light on the palate and defined by a dry, tannic feel. A standout aspect of this beer.

Overall: A moderately tart and acidic saison that is pleasant to drink. It’s a mild beer with the aroma and feel really standing out

 

I tried this from the bottle chilled in a tulip
color is pale golden with a thick white head with tight bead and clarity is good with fast rising carbonation visible

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My experience with grisettes have been limited at best, but I've always been a reluctant fan of the style; it's in that range of infinite sessionability by being somewhere in between a table beer and a farmhouse ale in terms of flavor, texture, and mouthfeel, but its modern interpretations always seem to see it priced somewhere in between low-end sours and barrel-aged barleywines, both styles I'd rather shell 18.00 on instead of a grisette.

Nevertheless, I can't quite take back the fact that I coughed up the dough for this and then schelpped it all the way across downtown Berkeley, Portland Intl' Airport, the Division, Downtown Portland, and then the little trek between Salem Station and my house, so I guess it's getting drunk, no matter how reluctant I am about opening up expensive beers not in commemoration of some sort of event.

Nice subtle notes of Rick Ross' favorite fruit (SHOUTOUT TO ALL THE PEAR), lemon peels, oak, honeydew, and saltine crackers formulate the general aromatic impression of this beer. There's a hint of tart which seems rather unbecoming of a grisette, but that could just be my mind playing tricks since the bottle does read "THE RARE BARREL." The pear juice and saltine crackers bear true for the entirety of the drinking experience.

On a scale of 1-10 in terms of flavor intensity with 1 being regular filtered water and 10 being a filet mignon steak cooked rare and then completely blended into liquid form, I'd say this is about a 3.5; whereas the flavors ensconced (I've been weirdly using this word a lot lately) within the liquid prison are all distinct and distinguishable--pear, oak, lemon, saltine, cracker--they neither overburden the tongue nor the senses, but sort of tip-toe around the different paltal regions, lightly eliciting flavors as it passes down the tongue and into the throat.

Light-bodied, with a constant simmering carbonation. Mouthfeel is closer to sparkling wine than beer, so it naturally follows that it's crisp and refreshing; if the beer was any dryer, you could have fooled me by telling me it was brut champagne. All in all, an almost-perfect table beer, with my only and main grip being that it's not sold at table beer prices. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

i wish these guys did more beer like this. i think its no less ambitious than any of the crazy barrel aged fruited and spiced sours they do, and there is something to be said for simplicity and drinkable beer. most rare barrel beers ive had have been so sour that they almost arent enjoyable, and certainly arent drinkable in any volume, so its nice to encounter one like this, a lot less acidic and still plenty flavorful. thanks for doing something like this guys! its more of a saison with a light bretty funk than it is a sour in their normal sense, its got maybe a light citrusy finish with a little acid, but this is more about the other yeast elements than the bacteria, and i really appreciate that. hints of green apple and wheat in the nose, very light and clean, late summery to me, grainy in a crackery sense, soft, round, and dry in the flavor. i love how much of this i could drink if left to my own devices, rare barrel beer is never like that! light hops in the finish here, really rustic farmhouse yeast vibe, straw and minerals, lemongrass, dry tea, and a gentle oak hug. delicious and delicate beer, well carbonated and supremely drinkable. id love to see more stuff like this from these guys!

 

 

 

 

Tulip at the brewery.

A: Pours a lightly opaque light straw yellow with a thin white head. A few spots of soapy lace were left down the glass.
S: Golden pear and melon nose with a kiss of raw grain and earthy spice. Light but complex smelling.
T: Up front, I get light grainy flavor mixed with mild spice, stone fruit, and golden pear, and near the finish there's a hint of juicy melon and white grape, as well as a mild mineral quality. There's more stone fruit flavors in the finish, and a touch of earthy, woody, spice. Complex for being so light and delicate. Doughy yeast flavors light but lingering in the aftertaste.
M: Very light and crisp mouthfeel with a drying finish and tingly carbonation made up of tiny, frothy, bubbles. Acidity is low and smooth and adds a nice refreshing quality without any sharp bite. Light crisp body.
O: Super drinkable and refreshing. Would be great in the heat, but even now it's a pleasure to sip. Complex flavor for such a light tasting and feeling beer, proving that just because it's light doesn't mean it's not amazing.