Cascade Brewing Noyaux
Cascade Brewing’s Apricot Ale was a great start to what I can only imagine is going to be a long relationship. The company’s Figaro kept the love flowing and now Noyaux ups the ante with even more depth of flavor and dynamic drinking experience. This 9.29% ABV wild ale starts off once again with a blend of strong blonde ales that were aged in white port barrels for over a year. That blend was then aged further on raspberries and apricot noyaux (the toasted meat of the fruits’ pit).
So what do we have with all of that barrel and fruit aging going on? Well, to put it simply, another world-class beer from Cascade Brewing. The port barrel influence doesn’t show up until the beer washes over your tongue, as a moderate-to-high and fairly approachable level of sour tartness takes hold. The full flavored beer has loads of raspberry influence and a surprisingly well-rounded presentation.
Just when I thought I’d experienced some impressive beers from Cascade, they turn everything up to eleven with Noyaux. The beer is incredibly deep and layered without being overly complex or confusing the tastebuds. The tartness is accompanied by raspberry, soft apricot notes and wood in a dynamic array of flavors. This beer was already two years old as a 2014 project and I can only imagine it getting even more dynamic with some cellaring — for those of you lucky enough to have a few bottles.