Ensorcelled

Ensorcelled

The Rare Barrel

Berkeley, CA

Winner of a Gold award at the 2014 World Beer Cup, Ensorcelled is a blend of a sour red and a black beer with Brettanomyces bruxellensis. After blending, the beer was aged in oak barrels with raspberries.

ABV: 5.6

ABW: 4.4

COLOR: 32

BITTERNESS: 5

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1053

AVAILABLE: CA

Clean, bright notes of fresh raspberries and a slightly tannic, oaky character rise to the nose in this lovely-to-look-at sour ale, joined by faint notes of caramel, fruit pits and an underlying hint of tartness. Raspberry flavors predominate, but the other stars in the aroma play key roles in the taste of Ensorcelled as well, dancing together on the palate. A middle-weight body carries the flavors as the beer finishes dry, yet slightly sweet, with a nice tart bite and a slightly woody, wine-influenced tannic flourish to finish everything off.
- Lisa Morrison

I’m a little crestfallen; I’ve named a beer “Ensorcelleur” and thought I was the cool one. I recover as the beer pours—the color is stunning, garnet with brown-orange foam. It looks like old Burgundy. The aroma is genuinely beautiful, a finely tuned blend of raspberry brightness, caramel, earth, pipe tobacco and chocolate. The beer redeems the promise with subtle acidity, waves of berry fruit and a bravura clean finish. It’s light in alcohol, but bottle age should bring further rewards. For now, sear some duck breast, make some demi-glace and weave a spell.
- Garrett Oliver

Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, talks beer every day at her beer store and taproom, Belmont Station, and on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.

Garrett Oliver
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and the veteran host of more than 900 beer dinners in 15 countries.