For Sour and barrel-aged beer lovers, we’ve held onto a stash of Cascade’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Manhattan NW Sour Ale 2015.  After barrel aging for 2 years and then maturing for another year in the brewery’s cellar, it has become more sour, more cherry focused, and the booze has mellowed to allow the tartness to shine.  

Scoring a 4.25 on Untappd, this puckering cherry adventure hasn’t been made since it’s release early last year.  In other words -- you’ll be tasting a moment of Cascade’s mastery that won’t be made ever again.

A blend of fruity Quad and Blonde Ales are aged 2 years in bourbon barrels to create this Manhattan Sour that makes the original cocktail blush with an extra year of sour intensity.  Sour Pie cherries take the souring cultures into overdrive, while apricot noyaux (pits) bring candied almond character that meshes with vanilla and caramel notes from the whiskey.

Considered by Paste Magazine as one of the Top 5 essential Cascade brews, Manhattan NW is case in point of Cascade’s GABF Gold-winning touch: barrel-aged, incredibly sour, and cellarable for years to come.  Since this one-time-only 2015 vintage’s release last year, only rare glimpses exist in the wild, leaving Sour fans to scour trade forums for a taste.

4.27 on BeerAdvocate; 4.25 on Untappd