— Samuel Butler

Beer:

Cascade Kriek Ale

Made by:

; Portland, Ore.

Cascade Brewing brews for the

, which was apparently named for the nocturnal creatures that once occupied the property on which the brewpub resides.

Cascade offers year-round beers, seasonals and sour-style ales. Cascade’s unique offerings currently include an apricot ale fermented for 16 months in oak wine barrels and bottled in 2009 and a barrel-aged spiced double porter called Bourbonic Plague.

Website:

raclodge.com

Type of beer:

Ale

Ale, brewed in a wide variety of colors and strengths, is defined as a beer brewed with top-fermenting yeast.

Rating:

4 pints out of 5

Beer review:

Having tried

’s Flemish sour ale, Grand Cru, I was terribly eager and curious to sample another sour ale.

Cascade Brewing ferments its Kriek Ale in small oak barrels for more than six months, re-fermenting the beer for another eight months with fresh Bing and sour pie cherries, according to the brewery. This 7.3 percent ABV beer is then hand bottled in 750 ml bottles. The brewer bottled this particular beer in 2009.

Cascade Kriek Ale is a cloudy, opaque reddish brown with a sharp, sour somewhat pungent aroma.

And the flavor? Holy cow is that sour.

The flavor is crisp, sharp and sour. The cherries clearly lend to the beer’s sourness but, in case anyone was wondering, they in no way lend any sweetness to the beer. The sourness is immediate and undeniable, and Cascade offers a lingering aftertaste.

It goes without saying that this beer is not for the timid. It may certainly be far out of some people’s comfort zone, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a chance. Not to insult anyone here, but if you’re a Bud Light drinker, chances are you will hate this beer.

It’s an odd, possibly off-putting style. It’s sour for Pete’s sake. This is not an everyday beer style, but it’s unusual enough to make it worth the effort. It does come in a big ‘ol cork-and-cage bomber bottle and might prove a challenge finishing even one. So this might be a good beer to share.