The Rare Barrel

Microbrewery in Berkeley, California, United States 🇺🇸
Owned by Cellarmaker Brewing Company
Associated Venue: The Rare Barrel

Established in 2012

Contact
940 Parker St, Berkeley, CA, CA 94710, United States
+1 510-984-6585
info@therarebarrel.com
Description
Picture yourself eating a handful of red raspberries, drinking a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade, or sipping on a glass of fine wine. Those sour, tart, and acidic flavors you are currently imagining are what makes sour beer taste quite different from traditional beers. These flavors, which are unique to sour beers, are the product of time and the right mix of microorganisms. While our sour beers age in oak barrels for an average of one year, a blend of microorganisms will shape the sour, tart, and acidic flavors that we’ve come to desire. Yes, sour beers take an exceptionally long time to develop, but we think that sour beers are well worth the wait.
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Sloefmans
Sloefmans (15755) reviewed
Ensorcelled (Batch 1) from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.5/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
Small brownish head, fast gone over deep redbrown to mahogany beer. Raspberry, vanilla, fresh oak, lactic acid, pralines with raspberry ganache. Raspberry, incense, vinous, serious lactic acid, lemon. Puckeringly acid, acidburn, overattenuated. Superb, outstanding beer!
Tried on 09 Aug 2015 at 03:13
Sloefmans
Sloefmans (15755) reviewed
Home, Sour Home from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.5/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 9
2013 Edition Head gone in secs; golden-yellow beer. Bit of acetone, and lots of nice acids, mainly lactic, vanilla, blossoms. Actually immensely inviting. Taste is also flowery, less vanilla than the nose, mild lactic acid, green fruit. I do not get the cinnamon, which is surprising. Acidburn, light body and a wheatlike slickness. Wow! 2015 Edition No head, slightly hazy golden-yellow beer. Hardly any vanilla, but an aroma that is more as chamomille. Mildly sour, chamomille, peach or nectarine, unripe. Light body, very spritzy, acidburn. Again no taste of the cinnamon, but nice enough.
Tried on 09 Aug 2015 at 03:04
fonefan
fonefan (85958) reviewed
Forces Unseen (Blend 1) from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
7.3/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle 750ml. @ CBC 2015 Line. [ As The Rare Barrel Forces Unseen (Blend #12) ].Unclear medium golden yellow color with a small to average, white to off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, pale malt, grapes, moderate yeasty, yeast, fruity, grass, floral. Flavor is moderate sweet and acidic with a long duration, tart, grapes, funky, peach, fruity. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20150502]
Tried from Bottle on 06 Aug 2015 at 05:02
Benzai
Benzai (25045) reviewed
Forces Unseen (Blend 1) from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
6.8/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Sampled from bottle @ RBBSG 2015. Lightly clear golden color, small white to off-white head. Smell and taste some sourness and firm fruit sourness. Dry finish, suitable body and carbonation. Hmm it’s alright.
Tried from Bottle on 03 Aug 2015 at 12:18
Bytemesis
Bytemesis (16521) reviewed
Dubious Proposal from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Tap. Pours cloudy reddish hazel, small beige fizzy head, decent lacing. Aroma is Berry, raspberry foremost, oddly, oak, lemon, fructe de padure, flavor is light tart, lots of Berry, raspberry, black berry, oak tannins. No vinegar here. Hints of candi sugar. Medium body. Really solid beer.
Tried from Draft on 01 Aug 2015 at 19:03
Bytemesis
Bytemesis (16521) reviewed
Arrows of Neon from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.2/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 9 Texture 10 Overall 8
Tap. Pours clear golden, small fizzy white head, quick to dissipate with some lacing. Aroma is oak, citrus, lime for sure. Flavor is medium tart, dry, not funky, hint of salt, lime, oak. Light body. The world needs more lime sour beers.
Tried from Draft on 01 Aug 2015 at 18:45
jtclockwork
jtclockwork (20055) reviewed
Ensorcelled (Batch 1) from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.6/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Bottle - Pours amber tan head. Nose/taste of raspberry with pit, funk, chocolate, oak, sour fruit - medium body.
Tried from Bottle on 29 Jul 2015 at 00:05
bhensonb
bhensonb (23025) reviewed
Home, Sour Home from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
7.9/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
Capped 750 shared by Marcus. Pours translucent gold with a transient white head. Aroma is a mild spiced peach. Maybe lacto hint. Med body. Flavor is cinnamon spiced peach, with sour that seems a mix of the nasties. A mildly sour, quite tasty, recommended ale.
Tried on 27 Jul 2015 at 15:04
Travlr
Travlr (34325) reviewed
Shadows of Their Eyes from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
8.3/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle sample. Deep maroon color, off tan head. Aroma of dusty overripe berries, subtle cocoa. Taste is dusty, peppery plums and berries. Good stuff.
Tried from Bottle on 20 Jul 2015 at 17:52
Travlr
Travlr (34325) reviewed
Home, Sour Home from The Rare Barrel
11 years ago
7.8/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle sample. Cloudy yellow color, white head. Aroma of stone fruit and citrus. Taste is softly sour summer fruit. Tasty.
Tried from Bottle on 20 Jul 2015 at 17:50