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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8.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. 10K tasting. Pours gold white head. Nose/taste of white grape, hibiscus, sour funk, oak. Medium body.
Tried from Bottle on 20 Apr 2015 at 17:00

7.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8.5
On tap at APEX. Pours a somewhat cloudy orange color with a small white head. A big sour fruity woody nose. The flavor is tart sawdust, grapes, big sweet apricots, more tannins and oak. Tasty. Sharp but drinkable.
Tried from Draft on 18 Apr 2015 at 15:17

8.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9.5
Bottle thanks to Rainer. Pours a hazy orange with small off white head. The aroma is strong raspberry, oak, funk. Medium mouth, nice tartness, strong oak, funk, berries, very nice.
Tried from Bottle on 16 Apr 2015 at 20:43

7.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Fra flaske på RBHD-samling på Fridtjofen april-15: mørk brunrød farge med kort filmskum. Pregnant sursøt aroma med vinøse overtoner (brett, lacto og bær). Litt vanilje kryper kledelig inn i smaken, som er en uvanlig og meget god opplevelse, første gang jeg smaker et fatlagret surøl med bare 4%. Avrundet ettersmak.
Tried on 16 Apr 2015 at 10:41

7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Shared bottle at RB/HD on board Fridtjofen 14.04.15. Clear, pale copper. Diminishing, pale brown head. Aroma of sour berries. Similarly sour taste of fermented berries, but also malt. Dry mouthfeel.
Tried from Bottle on 14 Apr 2015 at 12:19

6.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Shared 750 ml bottle at local tasting. Ruby colour, small off-white head. Sourish aroma, sharp notes of brettanomyces / farmhouse, red wine vinegar and oak. Dry and sour flavour, brett galore, vinegar and lemons.
Tried from Bottle on 14 Apr 2015 at 12:17

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Tap. Pours clear golden yellow, small white head, solid lacing. Aroma is oak and ginger. Flavor is very ginger forward, oaky, lemon, light tart, a touch of funk. Some ginger bite. Medium body. A bit ginger aley.
Tried from Draft on 04 Apr 2015 at 17:10

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Tap. Pours hazy butterscotch, small white head, decent lacing. Aroma is oaky, a bit funky, horse blanket, apple. Flavor is light plus tart, light funk, oaky, clean. Lightish body. Solid.
Tried from Draft on 04 Apr 2015 at 16:56

8.1/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 10 Overall 7.5
Tap. Pours clear tangerine orange, small white head, good lacing. Very light aroma, floral, ginger, oak. Flavor is interesting, medium tart, floral, lots of ginger, oak. Medium body, nice!
Tried from Draft on 04 Apr 2015 at 16:37

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Tap. Pours a bit hazy golden, small white head, decent lacing. Aroma is dusty, peaches, skins. Flavor is light sweet, very light tart, very peachy, apricot, fruity. Medium body, tasty.
Tried from Draft on 04 Apr 2015 at 16:32