BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BEER
THE NEW WAVE OF FRUIT BEERS
It’s easy to steer clear of fruit beers once
you’ve had one you didn’t fully enjoy. Whether
it was too fruity, too light, too tart or too
sweet, it can be somewhat tricky to find your
personal Goldilocks… the fruit beer that’s just
right for you.
But there are more fantastic options than
ever before. Today, you can select from a wide
array of styles, made with many different kinds
of fruit and using assorted techniques.
Fruit beers are loosely defined. They can be
produced from a variety of base styles and are
often categorized as such, instead of being labeled
simply as a fruit beer. Fresh fruit may be
used, and often provides some of the best examples,
though many breweries do use extracts, syrups
or processed flavors instead. Typically, hops
are not a big presence, and alcohol usually averages
5–7%.
Some of the best fruit beers come from Bel-
94
Dogfish Head Noble Rot (Fruit Beer/
Saison Hybrid; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery,
DE). Sourcing from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in
Prosser, Washington, Dogfish Head added Pinot Gris
must and botrytized Viognier must to a brew made
from pils and wheat malts and fermented the mix with a
Belgian yeast strain. The result is certain to satisfy even
the most divided house, with brisk carbonation and a
clean malt core that’s lifted with sweet vinous characteristics
and botrytis accents of softly honeyed peach and
apricot. It finishes dry and spicy, with a slight acidic lift
to the close. Given the fairly high alcohol, this is a bottle
to share.
abv: 9.0% Price: $13/750 ml
93
Lindemans Framboise (Fruit Lambic;
Brouwerij Lindemans, Belgium). This
widely adored, classic lambic remains one of the best.
It’s remarkably easy to drink, with intense aromas and
flavors of wild raspberries and berry preserves lifted
by a refreshing sour note that balances the sweetness.
There is vibrancy to the palate, with framing acidity and
a mouthwatering finish. This is a perfect summer sipper
thanks to its low alcohol and refreshing nature, and it
makes for a great dessert, alone or in an ice cream float.
abv: 2.5% Price: $11/750 ml
92
21st Amendment Insurrection Series
Monk’s Blood (Belgian-style Dark Ale;
21st Amendment Brewery, MN). This dark ale
pours a deep mahogany color, with a substantial head
that falls fast and leaves a slight ring around the rim
of the glass. The bouquet is intense and loaded with
aromas of various sweet spices—clove, cinnamon and
vanilla—alongside dried fruit accents of cherry, fig and
date. The mouthfeel is full and lush, with a caramel
malt backbone to support all of the earthy nuances of
70 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | JULY 2012
gium, where traditional lambics are king. Spontaneously
fermented and blended with fresh
fruit during secondary fermentation, these fruitdriven
beers exhibit the best of the ingredient
alongside tart wild-yeast flavors. They are also
low in alcohol, which means you can enjoy as
much as you want without too many serious side
effects.
Currently, one popular trend for fruit beers
is to barrel-age them. The time spent in barrels
can introduce wild organisms, resulting in
tart or funky characteristics, or can impart seductive
oak-driven notes like those of vanilla,
toast or baking spices. The complexity and foodpairing
ability of these brews make them highly
sought after selections, perfect for converting
skeptics who dismiss fruit beers for lacking power
or quality.
Prost!
spice, leather and softly toasted wood. The finish lingers
endlessly, with pleasant cocoa and burnt sugar flavors.
abv: 8.3% Price: $10/12 oz 4 pack
92
Lindemans Pêche (Fruit Lambic; Brouwerij
Lindemans, Belgium). Spontaneously
fermented with peaches added during the secondary
fermentation, this traditional Belgian fruit lambic is everything
you would expect from the style: a crisp but
somewhat sour drink loaded with peach aromas and flavors.
The peachy core is intense but naturally so, avoiding
any suggestion of artificiality. The palate is lively and
refreshing, ending on a long, mouthwatering finish. If
the fruit is too intense, try making a beer cocktail by
adding it to half a glass of your favorite wheat beer.
abv: 2.5% Price: $11/750 ml
92
Uinta Crooked Line 19th Birthday Suit
Sour Cherry Ale (Fruit Beer; Uinta Brewing,
UT). This beer features great complexity and layers
of aromas and flavors. Assertive notes of vanilla and
lightly charred wood start the bouquet, while deeper
nosing reveals dainty scents of pink peonies and tea roses
that accent the red cherry fruit. The carbonation is
brisk and the texture is dry, complementing the sweet
cherry flavors. There’s a hint of funkiness from wild
yeasts. Notes from the time spent in wood are a bit forward
right now, but with time should mellow and integrate.
With only 1,500 cases produced, grab what you
can and throw it in the cellar until Uinta turns 20.
abv: 5.7% Price: $13/750 ml
91
—Lauren Buzzeo
Samuel Smith Organic Apricot Fruit Ale
(Fruit Beer; Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery
(Tadcaster), England). Introduced in the U.S.
in February 2012, Samuel Smith Organic Apricot is the
newest addition to the brewery’s organic line. The beer
pours a hazy, deep yellow color, with a solid off-white
head that leaves nice lacing behind. Aromas and flavors
of juicy apricots fill the nose and mouth, but vibrant
sweet citrus and tart stone-fruit flavors keep the brew
balanced and approachable. The mouthfeel is mediumfull
and decadent, brimming with fruit flavors that are
fresh and inviting; a perfect companion to a summer
afternoon.
abv: 5.1% Price: $6/550 ml
89
Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA (American
IPA; Boston Beer Co, MA). This wheat
ale brewed with apricots is a playful take on the current
White IPA trend, with the addition of apricots being a
nice complement to the assertive hop character and the
spicy wheat-beer core. It’s medium bodied, with a crisp
stone-fruit flavor on the palate that quickly transitions
into dried grass and orange peel on the finish. A good
selection with heavily spiced chicken or pork dishes.
abv: 5.8% Price: $9/12 oz 6 pack
88
Samuel Smith Organic Strawberry Fruit
Ale (Fruit Beer; Samuel Smith’s Old
Brewery (Tadcaster), England). Although this is
made in the same style as the brewery’s Apricot Ale, it
comes off with a sweeter profile thanks to aggressive
characteristics of strawberry jam and fruit-drink mix.
The mouth is light and easy, a result of fairly high carbonation,
and the effervescence manages to keep the
sweet strawberry-syrup flavors that carry through to the
finish from coming off as too cloying.
abv: 5.1% Price: $6/550 ml
86
Shiner Ruby Redbird (Fruit Beer; Spoetzl
Brewery, TX). This easygoing lager is perfect
for summer drinking, with its approachable sweet-citrus
character and accents of ginger spice. Lemon and
ruby grapefruit shine on the palate, with a clean finish
that fades fast. As long as you like grapefruit, the
light body, high carbonation and low alcohol make this
a great summer session selection.
abv: 4.01% Price: $8/12 oz 6 pack