Cascade Brewing | Mashing In

Cascade Brewing Releases 2015 Vintage of Figaro

Posted on June 27, 2017September 18, 2017 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced that it will begin the release of Figaro 2015 on Tuesday, June 27.

This latest batch of Cascade Brewing’s Figaro project “is a blend of sour strong blond ales aged in chardonnay barrels for up to 18 months with white figs, lemon peel and orange peel.” This beer begins as a Strong Blonde Ale that is left to mature in “freshly emptied chardonnay barrels from the Willamette Valley wine region.” After several months, the brewers then add lemon peel, orange peel and dried white figs to each barrel to carefully “allow a slow, steady fruit fermentation to take place.” The beer is then dosed with several more fig additions over a 12-month period, taking on “layer upon layer” of fruit flavor. Once the barrel process is completed, Figaro 2015 finally comes to be once “the fruited beer is . . . transferred to a stainless steel tank and blended with a small portion of non-fruited sour blond ale until the desired balance of flavors is achieved.”

“The release of Figaro is welcome news to many of our consumers and wholesalers alike due to the fact that we have been out of stock on this item for more than six months,” noted Tim Larrance, VP of Marketing and Sales. “The 2014 release sold out in record time and we fully expect this one to do the same.”

Figaro 2015 officially releases in both of Cascade Brewing’s pubs, the Cascade Brewing Barrel House and the Raccoon Lodge, at noon (PDT) on Tuesday, June 27. Shortly after the brewery release, this Tier One offering will then become available in 750ml bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution network. This beer is always in great demand, so be sure to keep an eye out for Figaro 2015 before it most assuredly sells out. Prost!

Vital Information for Figaro 2015 from Cascade Brewing

Release – Limited/Tier One; June 27, 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 9%
Treatment – A Sour Strong Blonde Ale aged for up to 18 months in Chardonnay barrels with white figs, lemon peel and orange peel; then blended with a small portion of non-fruited Sour Blond Ale
Added Ingredients – White figs, lemon peel & orange peel
Availability – 750 ml bottles & draft
Fun Fact – Concerning the new labels and tier designations: “Cascade’s new bottles have distinct label styles for each of the three Cascade Brewing pricing tiers, with each label within the tier utilizing distinctive colors to clearly differentiate each beer. The tiers differ by the style of beer used in the product, the type ingredients contained within, the time aged in the barrels and types of barrels used.”

Cascade Brewing Sets Release Dates for Manhattan NW and Crazy Navel

Posted on June 6, 2017September 18, 2017 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has announced plans to release Manhattan NW 2015 on June 6 and Crazy Navel 2016 on June 13.

Arriving as Cascade Brewing’s first release of the month, Manhattan NW 2015 is “a blend of sour quad and blond ales aged in bourbon barrels with sour pie cherries and apricot noyaux.” Meant to mimic the notes of the classic Manhattan cocktail, this 10.3% ABV Sour Ale “features flavors of bourbon, maraschino cherries, bitter almond and rich malt backbone.” Manhattan NW 2015 is a Tier 3 offering from the brewery, and will be available in 750ml bottles and on draft beginning on Tuesday, June 6.

“Manhattan NW has long been one of our most popular releases and is one of highest rated beers in our portfolio,” explained Tim Larrance, vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re also excited about our long awaited new orange project, Crazy Navel, and are confident it will be a summer hit.”

Following closely behind the release of Manhattan NW 2015 will be Cascade Brewing’s easy-drinking response to the warm weather months ahead, Crazy Navel 2016 (7.6% ABV). This Tier 1 offering “is a blend of sour wheat and blond ales aged in oak wine barrels for 14 months with fresh orange zest.” With the use of “Cara Cara and Heirloom varietals, Crazy Navel captures the essence of the navel orange balanced with a refreshingly tart and dry base beer.” Slated for release on Tuesday, June 13, Crazy Navel 2016 will also see availability in 750ml bottles and on draft.

Manhattan NW 2015 and Crazy Navel 2016 will both initially launch in Cascade Brewing’s two pubs – Cascade Brewing Barrel House and Raccoon Lodge – on their respective release dates. Shortly after launch, bottles and kegs of both beers will then be shipped out to select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution channels. These two Sour Ales are almost guaranteed to move with a quickness once they hit shelves, so be sure to keep an eye out for them while on beer runs this month. Prost!

Vital Information for Manhattan NW 2015 from Cascade Brewing

Release – Tier 3, launch date: June 6, 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 10.3%
Treatment – Blend of sour Quadrupel & Blonde Ales aged in Bourbon barrels
Added Ingredients – Sour pie cherries & apricot noyaux
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft

Vital Information for Crazy Navel 2016 from Cascade Brewing

Release – Tier 1, launch date: June 13, 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 7.6%
Treatment – Blend of sour Wheat & Blonde Ales aged for 14 months in oak wine barrels
Added Ingredients – Zest of Cara Cara & Heirloom orange varietals
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft
Fun Fact – Concerning the new labels and tier designations: “The new bottles have distinct label styles for each of the three Cascade Brewing pricing tiers, with each label within the tier utilizing distinctive colors to clearly differentiate each beer. The tiers differ by the style of beer used in the product, the type ingredients contained within, the time aged in the barrels and types of barrels used.”

Cascade Brewing Releases Kriek 2016

Posted on May 3, 2017September 18, 2017 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced the release of the Kriek 2016 into distribution.

Recently named the “Top Sour Beer in America” by the New York Times, Cascade Brewing’s Kriek is back with a new vintage and a new look. This Tier One Project offering from the brewery is “a blend of sour red ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 17 months with Bing and sour pie cherries.” This labor intensive process results in a 7.4% ABV American Sour Ale that “features complex flavors of cherries, roast malts, oak and spice.”

“As one of our earliest and most recognized beers, Kriek has been a staple in our portfolio of Northwest sour ales,” explained Tim Larrance, vice president of sales and marketing. “Kriek continues to be a flagship project that represents the soul of our craft.”

Kriek 2016 officially launched on May 2 with a release in bottles and on draft at the two pubs of Cascade Brewing. If you are not in the Portland area, you will soon be able to find Kriek 2016 in 750 ml bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution network. Kriek 2016 is only available while supplies last, so stock up and enjoy. Prost!

Vital Information for Kriek 2016 from Cascade Brewing

Release – Tier One Project, May 2, 2017
Style – American Sour Ale (blended)
ABV – 7.4%
Added Ingredients – Bing and sour pie cherries
Treatment – a blend of Sour Red Ales aged for up to 17 months in oak wine barrels with cherries
Availability – 750 ml bottles & draft
Distribution – http://cascadebrewing.com/index.php/page/distributors

Cascade Brewing Releases 2017 Product Schedule

Posted on February 6, 2017February 6, 2017 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) just made the year ahead a hell of a lot more interesting with the publication of their 2017 Product Release Schedule.

We have posted Cascade Brewing’s full 2017 Product Release Calendar below for you to check out at your own pace. Before we turn you loose, let’s first go over one piece of brewery news and the descriptions for some of the new Cascade brews showing up in 2017:

As you may have already figured out from logo posted above, Cascade Brewing is rebranding their look in 2017. Along with the new logo, the bottle label designs have also been updated with three distinct color formats that will distinguish each release “based on ingredients used, time in the barrel as well as type of barrel used.” The new bottle labels will roll out throughout the year and debut in mid-February with the release of our next topic, Sang du Chêne 2015. Here is a sneak peek of that label to give you an idea of what to expect:
Sang du Chêne 2015: scheduled for release in February – Meaning “blood of the oak,” this project showcases sour blond and triple ales aged in three distinct oak vessels: red wine foudres, toasted French and American oak puncheons and Cognac brandy hogsheads. Oak influences are the highlights, providing flavors of toasted sugars, vanillin and spice that are complemented by the bright acidity and fruity character of the base beers. Sang du Chêne captures the marriage of wood and beer at its finest.
Kentucky Peach 2016: scheduled for release in March – This is a blend of sour wheat and quad ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels for up to 16 months with fresh, Northwest-grown peaches. This limited project offers flavors of ripe peaches and warm bourbon with hints of oak and a light malt sweetness.
Tangerine Dream 2015: scheduled for release in March – Last produced in 2011, this extremely limited release is a blend of blond and quad ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels for up to 18 months with tangerine zest, mandarin zest, apricots and vanilla beans. Rich and complex, Tangerine Dream captures flavors of fresh tangerines, bourbon, vanilla and toasted malts.
Crazy Navel 2016: scheduled for release in June – This features a sour blond ale aged in oak wine barrels for 14 months with freshly zested Cara Cara navel Orange zest. Last year we did a small, draft-only project and it was a huge hit, so this year we are taking it to the masses.
Framblanc 2016: scheduled for release in August – Made for only the second time (first run was very limited), Framblanc features a blend of sour blond and triple ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to one year with white raspberries. Utilizing fruit grown less than 12 miles from our Blending House facility, this project showcases bold flavors of raspberries, grapefruit zest, white cranberries and peaches.
A Yet to be named Collaboration with The Bruery (Placentia, California): scheduled for release in September – Details are still under wraps, but Cascade will use something grown in the state of Oregon while The Bruery will use something grown in Southern California.
Rose City Sour 2016: scheduled for release in October – The cellar team infused sour wheat ale with a unique blend of dried rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus tea crafted for Cascade by Tao of Tea. Rose City Sour features flavors of roses, cranberries, watermelon, grapefruit and hibiscus tea.

“Our brewing and cellar staff have taken our sour offerings to a whole new level that promises to blow your mind,” stated Tim Larrance, VP Sales & Marketing. “We are so excited to share these new projects with sour beer lovers worldwide.”

Alright, there are still plenty of other fan-favorite and classic Cascade offerings to be discovered on the calendar below. Be sure to check them out to prepare yourself for a great year of sour beer with Cascade Brewing in 2017. Prost!

Cascade Brewing Releases Blueberry Northwest Sour Ale 2016

Posted on January 9, 2017January 9, 2017 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced the release of the 2016 vintage of Blueberry Northwest Sour Ale in bottles and on draft.

The meticulous process of creating the 2016 Batch of Blueberry Northwest Sour Ale began with a blend of sour Wheat and Blonde Ales. To give the beer its distinctive fruity characteristics, the brewery then sourced over “8000 pounds of fresh blueberries from Oregon’s bountiful Willamette Valley.” The brewing team “hand-sorted the freshly picked fruit then added it to both tanks and barrels where it aged on the beer for several months until the fruit character reached its fullest expression.” To achieve the perfect flavor profile and level of balance, Blueberry Northwest Sour Ale is finished by blending “the fruited beer . . . with a portion of non-fruited barrel-aged beer.”

“The 2016 growing season delivered fruit with elegant blueberry aromatics, providing clean fruit expression to this blend,” stated Kevin Martin, lead blender for Cascade Brewing. “The project is complemented by the dry, cereal grain notes of the beer with hints of lemon, a soft oak presence and lively acidity.”

The 2016 Batch of Blueberry Ale yielded 1,190 cases of 750ml bottles and 225 kegs. This beer was initially released on Tuesday, January 3 at Cascade Brewing locations. Blueberry Ale typically sees distribution in bottles and on draft, so Sour Ale fans in Alabama, Florida and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution should keep an eye out for this one to eventually turn up on shelves and taps. Prost!

Vital Information for Blueberry Northwest Sour Ale (2016) from Cascade Brewing

Release – Limited, beginning January 3, 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 8.5%
Treatment – Blend of sour Wheat and Blond ales aged in white wine barrels for up to 12 months with fresh blueberries