It seems like only a few short hours ago I was sipping on a Bluebarrel and writing about the first ever brewery society in Oklahoma…ok so it was only a few hours ago…shut up. This day has been full of Kate and I working our way through the American Solera lineup from the first release yesterday and I couldn’t crack this bottle without writing down some words on it. We’ll get to the other bottles eventually, but tonight belongs to Raspbarrel.

Company: American Solera

Location: Tulsa, OK

ABV: 5.6%

Style/Description: Sour Ale Aged in Oak Barrels with Raspberries

Appearance: Hazy ruby red with a very light pale head that quickly fades.

Nose: Kind of like stuffing your face in a bowl full of raspberries. The fruit jumps out huge in the aroma and is joined by some light grassy aromas and what smells like those candy strawberries with the goo in the middle. You can tell this stuff is going to be tart as there is a solid undertone of grapefruit-y citrus.

Taste: Holy shit it’s tart, like delicious raspberry sweet tarts. The acidity is really on point here and the raspberries completely steal the show. Behind the amazingly sour raspberries are other delicious things like sage, toasted oak, and some lemon funk.

Finish: Oh man that pucker, keeping your eyes fully open is a challenge on this one. The sourness is very real and hangs on til the very end. Fresh raspberries, lemon acidity and dry oak keep everything super vivid and balanced as everything fades away together.

Overall: Why is this bottle so small!? The Raspbarrel brings the sour more than any other American Solera I’ve had so far, and man am I glad it does. The fruit, the acidity, the herb notes, the carb, everything is exactly how I want it to be. I’m in fruity sour heaven. Cheers to our second ever 5/5 beer!

Rating: 5/5