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
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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7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
On tap at the brewery. Aroma is fairly berry forward with a really nice boysenberry note. A light poopy funk note and a slight phenolic spice. Light oak and citrus notes. Pours a cloudy, reddish purple with a small, thick, pink head that recedes to the edges and lingers. No lacing and small legs. Flavor is moderately acidic with a nice light citrus note. Light oak and moderately strong boysenberry character. Some berry skin tannins. Light tropical fruit and faint phenolics. None of the poop from the aroma. A light jamminess. Mouthfeel is medium light bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, one of my favorite beers from them. The berry character is strong, but not over the top jammy. Nice acidity with some interesting character from the yeast. Not stupidly acidic either which is nice. Very enjoyable.
Tried from Draft on 17 Jul 2015 at 21:09

8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 9
Growler thanks to Bruce. Pours a clear orange gold with small white head that lasts. The aroma is strong apricot, citrus, tropical fruit. Thin mouth, funk, apricot, citrus, light acidity, tart finish, very nice.
Tried from Growler on 16 Jul 2015 at 19:12

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 9
Bottle from a trade @ RBBSG 2015. Many thanks! Hazy, medium carbonation. Sweet and tart. Very fruity. Drinks like lemonade but not that sweet. Lots of citrus and peach. Nice summer beer.
Tried from Bottle on 16 Jul 2015 at 13:15

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Yellow golden liquid. It’s somewhat hazy. The small white head bubbled away to nothing quickly. The aroma has a nice moderate level of peachiness. The vanilla comes out and adds a nice note to the mix. Not much cinnamon. It’s there but quite mild. Light oak. Moderately sour in the taste. Just a touch of acetic acidity in the finish. Some nice fruit but it’s a bit muddled. A little more oak. Light to medium body. Nice enough sour.
Tried on 16 Jul 2015 at 13:14

7.3/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 9
Thnx to Bart ! Pours unclear yellow, much like a wheat beer. No real head. Smell is spices, sour, citrussy, lemon ( intense lemon ) Taste is much lemonsourness. Refreshing, dry malty tones, but it’s hard to call this complex or balanced...
Tried on 14 Jul 2015 at 02:12

7.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8.5
Draft. Amber beer with a whitish head. Tart and sour aroma. Sour flavor with cinnamon and light peach. Medium bodied. Sourness and light peach lingers with cinnamon and light vanilla.
Tried from Draft on 10 Jul 2015 at 18:45

8.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Pours yellow gold white head. nose/taste of ginger root, sour lemon funk, oaky funk and sour lemony wet hay - medium body.
Tried from Bottle on 08 Jul 2015 at 00:22

7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours gold white head. Nose/taste of floral, sour lemon, orange peel - medium body.
Tried from Bottle on 07 Jul 2015 at 23:47

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Thanks to JefVerstraete! 655 ml. bottle sampled @ “Hot & Sweaty RBBSG 2015”. Blend #12. Hazy orange, little white head. Nose is very mellow lactic apricot, light yoghurt, sour, some brett, mellow oak & dash of mildly funky white wine. Taste is mellow lactic peach, very simple, light lemon, white wine wood, brett, unified & very simple mild lactic peach taste,… Tad lower carbonation. Very simple, almost a touch bland but very easy to drink, refreshing & fun enough at the same time.
Tried from Bottle on 05 Jul 2015 at 06:04

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8
750ml bottle thanks to Darrel. Pours out a clear crisp golden topped with a white head. Nose is sour funk tart citrus vanilla and some barrel notes. Taste is more of the tart funk barrel vanilla barrel orange citrus.
Tried from Bottle on 04 Jul 2015 at 22:05