DRAFT Magazine Names Cascade Brewing’s Vlad the Imp Aler a Top 25 Beer of 2009
February 5, 2010 by
Filed under Alcohol Related, Beer
PORTLAND, Ore. – Feb. 5, 2010 – DRAFT Magazine has recognized Cascade Brewing’s Vlad the Imp Aler as one of the top 25 beers of 2009 in its January/February issue, putting it in an elite category with other craft beers from around the world.
The announcement came as no surprise to the sour beer lovers, who have referred to Vlad online as “a masterpiece,” “grandiose” and “a great introduction to full-bodied, sophisticated traditional sour ales.”
A wild-yeast blended beer, Vlad the Imp Aler is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale derived from a blend of oak barrel-aged 23- and 25-degree Plato sour blonde quadruppel, sour bourbon barrel tripel and sour strong spiced blonde. The beer contains 9.5% ABV.
According to Brewmaster Ron Gansberg, “Having Vlad named as one of the top 25 beers of the year by DRAFT is a great honor and also very gratifying. We’ve had some amazing recognition of our products this year, which goes a long way to increasing our commitment to getting these beers blended, in the bottle and out for sale.”
The DRAFT article states, “Cascade Brewing stole both gold and silver in this year’s GABF wood- and barrel-aged sour beer category, and though Vlad was the runner-up, it’s still a big winner this year. It debuted in 2009 to healthy buzz and long lines at festivals, turning heads with its full body, palate-smacking acidity, and brazen woody overtones.”
This marks the second year in a row DRAFT has honored one of Cascade’s Northwest Sour Beers; Cascade Apricot Ale was named a winner in 2008.
Cascade Brewing produces ultra-premium, barrel-aged, lactic-fermented Northwest Sour-style beers. Current products for sale include Kriek, Apricot and Sang Rouge. Later this year, the brewery will bottle the still aging Vlad, The Vine and Bourbonic Plague. The 750 ml bottled beers are available in select bottle shops and direct through the brewery.
Cascade Brewing is housed in the Raccoon Lodge & Brew Pub in SW Portland, recently named one of the top 50 brewpubs in the world by RateBeer.com. For more information, call 503-296-0110 or visit www.raclodge.com.
