#178: Dogfish Head Brewery » Black & Blue (Belgian Fruit Beer)

An inspired fruit beer from Dogfish Head...

The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Black & Blue (Belgian Fruit Beer)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (Limited)
ABV:  10.0% | IBUs: 25
Rating: 8.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Black & Blue is the first of four Dogfish Head Occasional Rarities that I'll be covering over the next week or so. Typically, fruit beers are not the first thing I grab for. Artificial flavoring or poor backbone choice (uninspired wheat beers, etc) are usually the big culpruit, but I never swear off a whole style.

Enter Dogfish Head, who as usual, like to do things their own way. B&B is Belgian-style golden ale fermented with black raspberries and blueberries - real berries; nothing fake here. It also, boasts a 10% ABV, which is one of the highest I've seen on a fruit beer. All signs point to enjoyable on my radar, so far...

The Beer? Black & Blue immediately releases fragrant aromas of sweet and sour berries while pouring. A finger of white head with a pinkish hue tops the hazy deep amber body. Strong blueberry notes dominate the nose on further breaths in.

The use of real fruit really pays off in this one. Rustic, juicy flavors are abound - smooth and refreshing, while tart, but not at all wild or funky. The Belgian Golden style is a good palate choice to allow the sweet blueberries and soft tartness of the blackberries to shine through, without getting overly sweet. There's a slight earthy aftertaste preceded by a slight dryness on the finish.

Overall, a solid beer, nothing terribly groundbreaking, but a must try for any fruit beer lover and recommended for any of your friends into the lighter side of wines and looking for a gateway into craft beer.

#088: Evil Twin » Justin Blåbær (Berliner Weiss/Fruit Beer)

ZOMG is Blåbær fea4ver...

The Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing (Denmark)
The Brew: Justin Blåbær (Berliner Weiss/Fruit Beer)
Availability: Draft and 22 oz. bottles
ABV: 4.5%
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Home
Found: Finger Lakes Beverage Center

The Story? As you may have deduced from some of my earlier posts, I'm a big fan of Evil Twin and Berliner Weisse beer. When I caught wind of this collaboration with Westbrook Brewing Co. (where it's brewed), despite it's insanely bizarre labeling and branding concept, it went high on my radar.

I just missed the boat TWICE enjoying this on tap in Vermont (taps of this kicked at two different bars in two different cities shortly before I arrived), but Finger Lakes Beverage Center (our newest supporter to the right of your screen) came to the rescue as usual, having stocked it just moments before I stopped in for a growler.

This particular Berliner Weiss is brewed with real blueberries, taking the Berliner Weisse mit Schuss tradition in a less syrupy direction. As many Evil Twin brews pack a serious punch of flavor, I know I'm in for a treat with this one.

The Beer? Blåbær immediately doesn't look like any other Berliner Weiss I've had yet - hazy, deep amber coloring crowed with white, fizzy head that has a light violet hue to it on first pour. The blueberries really enriched deepened the appearance of this typically golden, translucent beer.

The taste? BAM! Bright sour flavors of lemon, cherry, and blueberry slap the palate right out of the gate. Acetic and astringent on the tongue and taste, Blåbær hits like a fierce, further soured lambic.

In the second glass, the carbonation eases from prickly, to a fine effervescence and the tartness hits it's stride. The blueberries subtle flavor begin to peak through adding a through of sweetness while emphasizing the tartness, backed by firm yeast notes.

An excellent sour for the adventurous beer enthusiast and a steal for the price, especially compared with some of Evil Twin's line.