Category Archives: Fruit Beer

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Fruit Beer, USA

Epic Brainless Raspberries

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9.9%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Malts – Premium Pilsner, Ultra-Premium Maris Otter, Light Candy Sugar, 2-Row Carapils Malt, Flaked Oats and Wheat Malt. Hops – Premiant, Tettnang and Saaz. 100% pure raspberry puree (no preservatives)

Brewer Description: (from website) Hints of raspberry bubble gum flavors from the Belgian yeast and fresh raspberries tease the pallet in this Brainless offering.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bottle, Release #33, brewed on 3rd November 2014 and packaged on 19th November 2014. Poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy pinkish red orange colour (like pink guava juice) with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Fruity raspberry juice and strawberry jam.
Taste: Sweet and lightly tart raspberry and strawberry jam flavours with a good amount of alcohol bite that’s not overpowering.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a good beer that has a nice alcohol bite and while its not overpowering, I do prefer fruit beers to be a bit lighter though and hence Epic Lil’ Brainless Raspberries was slightly better in my opinion.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Fruit Beer, USA

Epic Lil’ Brainless Raspberries

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 100% pure raspberry puree (no preservatives)

Brewer Description: (from can) Lil’ Brainless Raspberries is an easy drinking canned version of our big, bold 22 oz. bottle of Brainless Raspberries, crafted especially for those who seek bright, fresh, and real raspberry flavours in a convenient size. We brew exclusively with natural raspberry puree, which gives this beer its unique pink color as well as hints of raspberry bubble-gum, sweet fruit jam, and a pleasant dryness that makes this beer perfect for easy going affairs, indoors or out.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. can with no canned on or best by date. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear pinkish-red copper colour with a one finger slightly off white head that dissipated quickly but left some light lacing.
Aroma: Sweet raspberry juice with some strawberry jam and a hint of grape juice.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with raspberry juice and strawberry jam front and center. Lightly sweet and tart.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I enjoyed this. It was light, refreshing, juicy and easily drinkable as I finished it pretty quickly. A nice fruit beer. I would have this in my fridge during the summer.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Birra del Borgo, Fruit Beer, Italy

Birra del Borgo Prunus

Monday, 16 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Birra del Borgo
Country: Italy
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 21 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Prunus (from the cherry’s bothanical name, Prunus Avium or Cerasus according to variety) is made adding to our spelt beer Duchessa about 20% of fresh cherries with their stones. Differently from the typical Belgian kriek, it is not too sour as it keeps some of the Duchessa’s smoothness. Yet it’s not sugary indeed, thanks to the well balanced bitter aftertaste.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.92
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of September 2017 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy orange golden colour with a thin white head that doesn’t stick around and only leaves some light lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sour, cherry, apple vinegar and light funkiness.
Taste: Like the aroma, taste is tart, sour cherry, sour apple and lemon.
Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and easy to drink, but I preferred Rubus slightly more.

1 - Poor (never again), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V., Fruit Beer

Bacchus Kriekenbier

Friday, 31 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 15% cherries, beer flavoured with cherries, beer with sugar and sweetener, contains barley malt and wheat.

Brewer Description: (from wrapping) Van Honsebrouck is a family owned brewery in West Flanders Belgium. It makes a range of beers including Bacchus, a beer in the local style of the region. This is the beer on which kriek is based, as well as framboise, a premium fruit beer for which Belgium is well known. Hand wrapped and presented in half champagne bottles, these are remarkable beers.

My rating: 1
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 375ml wrapped bottle with a best before date of 22nd May 2016 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a clear deep ruby colour with a one finger very light pink head that dissipated slowly ending in patches of foam and nice lacing.
Aroma: Mainly sweet cherry and raspberry. Basically candy berry smells.
Taste: Sweet tart cherry, a little bit artificial but getting to the cough syrup flavours that I like so much.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was nice, although maybe a little on the sweet side. However unfortunately, according to the wrapping, it seems they add Stevia to the beer. I don’t use sugar substitute sweeteners in anything ever, and I don’t see why I need to start doing so in beers.

1 - Poor (never again), Abashiri Beer, Beer Reviews, Fruit Beer, Japan

Abashiri Oto no Shizuku (Cherry Drops)

Saturday, 4 July 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Abashiri Beer
Country: Japan
ABV: 5%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Happoshu based. Brewed in Hokkaido.

Brewer Description: Its in Japanese, which I unfortunately cannot read…

My rating: 1
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 1.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle dated best before 28th October 2015 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a slightly hazy dull pinkish red colour with a half finger head that disappeared almost immediately.
Aroma: Strong aromas of candied cherry, some bubblegum, cherry syrup.
Taste: Immediate taste of candied cherry (like cherry soda) but then all of a sudden less than 2 seconds later, it all disappears. You’re expecting some sweetness or something, but its not there at all. It pretty much becomes like extremely watered down cherry water.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: I saw cherry, and I didn’t need any more persuasion to buy this beer. This beer was happoshu based and there’s nothing wrong with that. I also enjoy cough medicinal flavours, and this kind of had this at first, but then it disappeared even quicker. Watered down cherry water, that’s what I got… it started off fine and then just fell off. I don’t know how I finished the whole thing… It was also damn expensive at around USD4 a bottle. Not worth it at all, save your money!

words of another dreamy traveller