Tag Archives: fruit beer

Hell or High Watermelon

Posted on by
4

Beer-a-Day #336 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

The definition of summer in a pint glass. This unique, American-style wheat beer, is brewed with 400 lbs. of fresh pressed watermelon in each batch. Light turbid, straw color, with the taste and essence of fresh watermelon. Finishes dry and clean. 5.5% ABV – 17 IBUs

Summer is but a memory. It’s currently cold and rainy outside. The beauty of beer, though, is that it can take you anywhere. And where I’d like to be right now is lounging in my hammock on a lazy summer day.

Pale yellow with a little haze. I was afraid the watermelon would smell like a Jolly Rancher, but it’s not nearly as overt. Taste is light, but I’m not sure about it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big fan of watermelon. Still, considering my experiences with fruit beer, it’s not too bad.

21st Amendment Brewery

Wild Blue Blueberry Lager

Posted on by
Reply

Beer-a-Day #261Wild Blue

Brewed with a blend of two- and six-row barley malt, classic Aroma hops from the Willamette Valley in the Pacific Northwest and German hops from the Hallertau region in Bavaria and all-natural blueberry syrup made from real blueberries.

This is actually a “stealth” faux-craft offering from Anheuser-Busch. It first hit test markets in 2005 and won the gold medal in the fruit beer category at the 2006 North American Beer Awards. It went nationwide in spring 2008, but this is the first I’ve seen of it.

It's pink!It’s red. Not a deep amber, but red. And the head is pink. I can smell the blueberries all the way from over here. It smells like Boo Berries. The blueberry overpowers any beer that might be in there. My wife says that it’s not the worst fruit beer she’s ever had (and I concur) but, as so often happens, the fruit is so overwhelming that it tastes like Kool-Aid made with beer. Some people might like this, but it’s not for me. And a whopping 8% ABV, too.

Anheuser-Busch press release on nationwide release of Wild Blue, including a recipe for vinaigrette dressing

Dogfish Head Raison D’Être

Posted on by
Reply

Beer-a-Day #245Dogfish Head Raison D'Être

It’s been downright cool the last couple of days. Positively autumn-like. I’m loving it. Now for something to warm the insides.

A deep, mahogany ale brewed with beet sugar, green raisins, and Belgian-style yeast. As complex as a fine, red wine.

Medium-dark brown with red highlights. Complex aroma. Some vanilla, prunes. Big malty character. A sipping beer, and darn good, too.

Dogfish Head Raison D’Être

Blue Point Blueberry Ale

Posted on by
2

Beer-a-Day #236

Blue Point Blueberry Ale (© Christopher Vigliotti)

Blue Point Blueberry Ale (image © Christopher Vigliotti)

The aroma of blueberries is noticeable as soon as the bottle is opened. Clear golden color with a fizzy white head. The aroma is almost all blueberry; it’s hard to detect any beer under there. More blueberry in the flavor, with a lot of carbonation. Not overly sweet, though. At under 5% ABV I could see having a bunch of this on a hot day. My impressions rather match those of Ron, however.

Blue Point Brewing


Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale

Posted on by
2

pyramid-audacious-apricotBeer-a-Day #223

Our flavorful apricot ale boldly combines the taste and aroma of fresh apricot with the smooth finish of wheat malt. Its refreshingly unfiltered character and fruit flavor make it an ale worth savoring.

Clear orange with a white head. The apricot aroma fairly overpowers anything else. The taste has a similar issue. It’s not bad, but it’s just not beery enough.

Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale

Buffalo Bill’s Orange Blossom Cream Ale

Posted on by
Reply

Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream AleBeer-a-Day #213

Looks and fizzes like a ginger ale, if a little cloudy. No head retention at all. A lot of orange in the aroma as you’d probably expect. More orange in the flavor, and not much beer. No, I don’t care for that at all.

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery


Otter Creek Winter Ale

Posted on by
Reply

Otter Creek Winter Ale Raspberry BrownBeer-a-Day #184

My favorite retailer was having a clearance sale on some out-of-season beers. Well why the heck not?

The new special release is a smooth brown ale, with a touch of raspberry. Rich and toasty with a warming body and light hops, this will be a malty and perfectly fruited beer- very appealing and comforting. Just right for wintertime.

Well, I suppose I could crank up the air conditioning…

Chocolatey brown with a thin head. A bit of molasses in the aroma and some raspberries. A bit of roastiness in the flavor, light body, some more raspberries. Light body. I don’t know that I’d save this just for winter.

Otter Creek Winter Ale

Sea Dog Bluepaw

Posted on by
Reply

Sea dog BluepawBeer-a-Day #141

Our unique contribution to the fruit ale category features the nutty quench of wheat ale combined with the delightful aromatics and subtle fruit flavor contributed by Maine wild blueberries.

The website says that this beer is 3.5% ABV, but the bottle proclaims it is 4.7%.

Yellow and clear. Lots of blueberries in the aroma. Not overly sweet; the blueberries don’t overpower it.

Sea Dog Brews


Dogfish Head Aprihop

Posted on by
1

Dogfish Head AprihopBeer-a-Day #105

Tax day, woo-hoo! Actually, I e-filed in the middle of February and have already received and spent my refund. I feel for the folks who left things to the last minute.

This is the first of several beers that my good friend Ellen got for me.

This is Dogfish Head’s spring seasonal offering. In spite of the fact that they’re fairly local to me and I brewed a clone of this beer, I haven’t had this one in a long time.

It’s the color of iced tea, with an ivory head. Malty aroma with only a bit of apricot. Bitter and sour at the same time. Interesting.

Dogfish Head Aprihop