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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7.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours clear golden, small white fizzy head, hint ofv lacing. Aroma has strong stone fruit notes, hint of strawberry, oak, lemon, tannin, bugs. Flavor is light tart, light plus funk, peach skins. Light plus body.
Tried from Bottle on 23 Jun 2021 at 02:16

8/10
A little tiny bit of sea salt on a solid saison vibe golden ale, not sure I understand the coriander in it but it's tasty and easy going. Almost classic rare barrel finish though.
Tried from Bottle on 21 Jun 2021 at 23:14

6.8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6
Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy burgundy, small pink-white head, some lacing. Aroma is Merlot forward, with funk, bugs, dust, oak, and hints of acetone. Flavor is dry, full of red wine, medium funk, a bit sharp and off-putting. Medium body. Not my thing.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Jun 2021 at 21:26

8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Pours clear pale reddish pink, medium pinkish white head, good lacing. Aroma is raspberry, yogurt, strawberry, funk, bugs. Flavor is light tart, light plus lactic yogurty funk, pleasant berry notes.
Tried from Bottle on 10 Jun 2021 at 02:57

7.5/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Bottle. Pours clear mahogany, small beige head, good lacing. Aroma is tannic, vinous, roast, cocoa. Flavor is light tart, light funk, tannin. Medium body
Tried from Bottle on 07 Jun 2021 at 02:27

8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Pours clear golden, small white head, good lacing. Aroma is lemon, grapefruit, musty basement, funk, socks, green apple. Flavor is light plus tart, light funk, musty finish, lemon and citrus hops. Light body. Interesting.
Tried from Bottle on 05 Jun 2021 at 02:09

8/10
Least acidity TRB I've had I think, nice strawberry and rhubarb funk.
Tried from Bottle on 04 Jun 2021 at 21:40

7.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle sample at a tasting at Yoav's place. Hazy yellow. Bretty funk, oak, a bit spicy, a bit of manure, somewhat green hops, rustic, earthy, some fruitiness, moderately sour, bitterish finish. Really good.
Tried from Bottle on 03 Jun 2021 at 16:06

8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle. Pours clear rose magenta, small fizzy off white head, some lacing. Aroma is vinous, funky, yogurt, oak, must, skins. Flavor is light tart, light plus funk, earthy, vinous. Merlin body.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Jun 2021 at 23:29

7.9/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle, 2018. Pours clear pale golden straw with a medium white head, a bit fizzy with some lacing. Aroma is pear, bugs, oak, tannin. Flavor is light plus tart, light funk. Pear has faded but is still present. Light body.
Tried from Bottle on 31 May 2021 at 19:24