Smashin' Berry Ale
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Smashin' Berry AleSmashin' Berry Ale
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From:
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
7%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.11 | pDev: 24.44%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
25
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 30, 2017
Added:
Oct 07, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
An abundance of fresh, natural fruit flavor makes this beer something special. You would think we picked the fruit moments before brewing.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.06 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Oct 30, 2017
 
Rated: 2.5 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jun 07, 2017
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5
Cloudy gold--looking remarkably like the color of pineapple gummy bears--with a thin blanket fading to a thin ring.

Smell is mixed berry with a little pie crust, bubblegum and medicinal character.

Taste is sweet and slick mixed berry that's a little sharp in the finish, with a white wheat, and light and thinly frothy body. After some time, I also taste some honey flavored canned iced tea.
Dec 15, 2015
 
Rated: 2.53 by StretchZep from Ohio

Nov 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3.1 by wvsabbath from West Virginia

Apr 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.35 by N_Overholt from Ohio

Apr 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.01 by TommyBuckeye from Ohio

Dec 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by EricTKole from Michigan

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by cwelsh55 from Pennsylvania

Oct 17, 2014
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

2.5/5  rDev -19.6%
Appearance - The beer was a tinted yellow color with a slight white head.

Smell - Berries jump to the front of the aroma, with some bready notes toward the back.

Taste - My cough is cured! I really do not detect much about this that actually taste like beer. It seems to be more of a malt beverage with a children's cough syrup aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - The sticky mouthfeel actually reinforced the notion that this might actually be cough syrup.

Overall - I have had many great beers from Hoppin's Frog. This beer needs to stay retired.
Sep 29, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by jnikkel from Indiana

Sep 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Arch578 from Ohio

Sep 19, 2014
Photo of nrbw23
Reviewed by nrbw23 from Ohio

2/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1
I've had this one a couple times at tastings and had no idea that this one is now retired.

A- Pours a clear, bright pale yellow with the slightest tinge of a reddish color with a super thin white head. Head has pretty much no retention and lacing.

S- I only think I'm picking up is raspberries and maybe a tiny bit of bready malts.

T- Raspberry flavor and that's about it. This one is pretty much a wine cooler not a beer.

M- Light in body and hardly any carbonation.

D- There is no way I could drink an entire bottle of this. Still not digging the fruity beers. Probably a good reason why this one is now retired.
Jul 21, 2010
Photo of Raymond69
Reviewed by Raymond69 from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark , little head , no lacing.

Aroma of berries. Kool-aid like tartness.

Tasting is a lot like the aroma. A pretty one-dimensional berry/kool-aid flavor without much else.

Mouthfeel is medium , good carbonation.

Overall a decent brew for someone who doesn't like beer.
Mar 17, 2009
Photo of pwoods
Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

2.8/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to beachbum1975 for sharing this bottle. Quick notes.

22oz. brown bomber poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a Pinot Noir color. Short head, no retention or lacing.

S: Smells like ginger ale, raspberies, and white grapes. Very soda like.

T/M: Light ginger ale with raspberries and white grapes. Almost like a wine cooler, lol. Body is light and crisp with lively carbonation.

D: Just not for me.
Nov 21, 2008
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks goes out to tburkhart for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a nice hazy golden pale yellow color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy white head, with minimal sticky lacing. The nose is malty, with a very nice touch of raspberries/blueberries. The taste is malty, sweet, nice notes of raspberries/blueberries. Medium body. Drinkable, I like this one, very tasty, easy to drink.
Nov 11, 2008
Photo of jjayjaye
Reviewed by jjayjaye from New York

3/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Devil made me try this one. Pours a very thin, barely pink tinted with little head or lacing. This is one of those soda-like beverages. Must be consumed very cold on a very hot day. Smells like a berry CoolAid Jello thingy. Little carbonation and very light in the mouth. Fruity berry flavor. Frankly i would've rather had a beer.
Aug 18, 2008
Photo of GoodKnight1220
Reviewed by GoodKnight1220 from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
Got this beer on-tap at the local brew-pub.

Has a good looking hazy translucent very light yellow with a hint of purple.

Smell was very nice, berries, spice, and malt.

Taste was very light and slightly fruity, not too fruity though. Nice easy carbonation.

You can drink 10 of these and not even know it, easy going down. Good brew.
Aug 11, 2008
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

2.52/5  rDev -19%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Lightly milky amber with no hint of red or pink. The bright white cap is small, falls fairly rapidly, and leaves the glass untouched. Shouldn't an ale that uses 'an abundance of natural fruit flavor'... oh, I get it now. No fruit has been harmed in the brewing of this beer. Not a good look considering the name... or in general.

The aroma earns point for being impressively berry-like. It smells most like strawberry, but raspberry is possible too. Who knows, maybe even boysenberry or gooseberry. The only problem is, it's obvious that extract has been used. Considering the artificial nature of the nose, the above score is exceedingly generous.

What an odd beer. Smashin' Berry Ale isn't what was expected at all. It tastes like a big bowl of Franken Berry cereal soaking in Nestle Strawberry Quik and cream ale. Another analogy would be one of those strawberry crunch ice cream bars that I used to eat as a kid. Unfortunately, this is one of the most artificial tasting fruit ales that I've ever had.

Still, I've tasted worse. Not much worse, but worse. The obvious fix would be to jettison the natural (ahem) extract and use real fruit. That might be expensive, but it would be worth it. Speaking of expensive, why on earth is this bomber $7.49? Bombers of Mean Manalishi and B.O.R.I.S. aren't much more than that.

The mouthfeel isn't bad. It's far from light and fizzy, as a lot of lower ABV fruit beers tend to be. That said, it's a little off-putting to have a beer that tastes like this be this full and creamy. Melted ice cream bars, I'm telling you.

Fred Karm is an outstanding craft brewer and should not have to abide criticism from the likes of me. However, I gotta call 'em like I see 'em. Smashin' Berry Ale needs a complete overhaul, starting with the next batch. Who knows, maybe it's one of the brewery's biggest sellers. It isn't for me, though.
Jul 17, 2008
Photo of beachbum1975
Reviewed by beachbum1975 from Ohio

1.45/5  rDev -53.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Got this while driving from PA back through to Cincinnati at West Point Market in Akron, Ohio. Per the employee at the store, this ale is only distributed in the Akron area, but I'm not certain I believe that 100%.

Appearance: No freshness date seen. Poured from a bomber it my traditional pint glass. Pour a clear, bright pale yellow with the slightest tinge of purple, definitely a unique look. A brief, ultra-white fizzy head disappeared quickly leaving what looks like a flat 7up. No other carbonation lingered.

Smell: Smells like a super-sweetened raspberry, not natural. Further sniffing brings the slightest wheats or bready malts.

Taste: Flat! This is beer? Wow, to me it tasted like a flat cream soda with no bite whatsoever. Vanilla, crèaminess and the slightest artificial candied raspberry flavor detected. What was this, a flat raspberry Zima?

Mouthfeel: Flat and wet, no dryness detected. No carbonation. Blah...

Drinkability: Sorry, no thanks. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it for the sake of getting another fruit/vegetable beer review under my belt, but I won't be getting this one again.
Jun 01, 2008
Smashin' Berry Ale from Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 25 ratings