Draught at Trillium Roslindale, 2/1/18.
Purple haze, dark, with a small, violet-tinged, beige head atop showing moderately low retention.
Juicy and very oaky, with lots of poignant, well-expressed fruit and quite a bit of acetic character, actually. Almost vinous in its dark fruit depth. Brett and lactic acidity swim underneath, with light hints of toast and vanilla on the edges. Alcohol is concealed and there is no flaw noted.
Peppery, dry, slick and very tart, with an almost cranberry-grape edge to it and more acetic acid than one would expect from the commercial description. Lots of oak character, which seems to be the norm for the brewery, yet it's not toasty so it doesn't dominate. Very low, somewhat loose at times, carbonation and no alcohol. Sourness isn't overdone and it's not sharp, especially given the penchant for both fruits to be so. Still, it's not quite harmonious and feels a bit muddled.

Nice reddish brown pour. White foam. Fruity berry flavoured sour nose, some vinegar, bit of toffee. Taste is sour, dark character does not come through that much, some cocoa does. Good sour and tart character, berries, fruity and some funk there as well. Salty. Rare Barrel does deliver, sour and balanced and just right. Does not wow me too much though, it's just a very good beer.

Bottle. Pours a hazy mahogany hue with a small beige head. Aroma of extremely tart dark berries. Taste is tart blackberry, oak, acetic acid, funk, tannins, Very sour finish. Excellent.

On tap at the brewery. Aroma is very berry forward with lots of blackberry and black currant. Some light jamminess, but also a really nice tannin note that reminds me of cinnamon. Light oak notes with some light caramel, toasted bread and raisin notes as well. Pours a deep, dark purple red with a small, thick, pink head that recedes to the edges and disappears. No lacing or legs. Flavor is similar to the aroma with a very berry forward character. Only a medium light jamminess that is well balanced by the tannins from the berries. The berry character is really complex with some light phenolics and a cinnamon-like tannic note. Light oak as well as light malt notes of caramel, raisin and toasted bread. Hints of citrus. Moderately strong acidity with a medium light sharpness to it. Mouthfele is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, a pretty nice beer from The Rare Barrel. Really great berry notes, but the base beer doesn’t really do it for me. It lacks the roundness and complexity that top AWAs have.

Bottle - pours purple pink head - nose/taste of blackberry, black currants, tannin and really sour oak - medium body