Beer Review: Noyaux (2011 project)

Reviewing Noyaux from Cascade Brewing out of Portland, Oregon. This is an intentionally soured blonde ale aged in white port barrels with raspberries and apricot pits.

Score: 98

2011 project (2012 release) bottle served in a Goose Island Chicago Flag snifter and enjoyed on 02/23/13. Review is from iPhone notes

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange color with a thin amount of white head that settles to a ring around the glass. Below average lacing, average retention. No floaties; clean in appearance. 4/5

Smell: Apricots, sour raspberries and oak. A touch of vanilla and some peach notes too. A little plasticky funk too, but in a good way akin to how Cascade Strawberry smelled. 4.75/5

Taste: A nice medley of tart raspberries, tart apricot and peach. Lingering tart citrus zest and peach flavor. Nice tartness and growing pucker as it warms up. Faint oak too. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, low-medium carbonated. Super tart, nice pop on the palate. Dry and slightly sticky. Increasingly tart as it warms up. 5/5

Overall: This just might be Cascade's best beer. I enjoyed this more than Sang Royale and Sang Noir, which I absolutely adored. I love how tart and fruity this brew is.

Cost: $25 for a 750 ml bottle.