Brewbies Pink Ale
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

 

On-tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad

A: The beer is certainly pink. It's also quite pale and even a little reminiscent of Arbor Mist/wine cooler in appearance.

S: The nose is quite light, fruity (red grapes, raspberries, and maybe pomegranate), with an almost cidery note to it.

T: The flavor is like cider or very bland sparkling wine, to be honest. The same almost discernible fruit notes are present on the palate, and there is a slight sweetness to the beer.

M: The body is quite light and very effervescent.

D: I'm still a bit unsure about this one. I enjoyed it, especially considering it was a warm day out, but at the same time, I felt like I was just drinking a sparkling fruit drink.

Pours a pinkish-orange. Smells like fresh fruit (yum), though I wouldn't know it was pomegranate if I hadn't read the sign. Maybe a bit of yeast to the aroma.

Taste is a bit one-note. I don't know why, but I expected a sour. This is fresh sweet fruit, a bit of yeast, and an interesting ... champagne bread? ... background.

Kind of interesting. Wouldn't revisit. Very bubbly.

On tap @ Pizza Port Carlsbad on 3/18/10. Served in a tulip glass. The board described this as a light fruited Ale, brewed with pomegranate and 2 type of Belgian yeast.

Pours a light copper (with a bit of a pinkish hue to it), topped with a thin covering of bright-white creamy head. Really nice retention here (that continues to bubble & bubble during the duration of the glass), staying rich around the edges and leaving a big foamy cascade down the sides of the glass, which hangs in some thickish swathes. The aroma is sweet pale malt character, some delicate floral tones, and lightly tart fruitiness from the pomegranates. There is also a definite Belgian yeast presence here in the aroma, which I'm finding similar to what you would find in a Witbier.

The pomegranates in the taste are juicy and sweet, with a bit of a tart (and even maybe a little earthy & bitter) edge to them. Grainy malts are silky across the palate for the most part but still lend this some crispness and gives the fruit flavor something to bounce off of. Light balancing hops offer up some balance. Yeast is more restrained here than it is in the aroma, finishing this with dryness and lingering fruity tones. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, with a breezy crispness to the feel that dances the flavors around in the mouth. Pleasant overall feel here.

This was tasty and quite thirstquenching for a lighter-style fruit beer. I like the use of the pomegranates here, as they offered up both sweet and tart fruity tones, while the Belgian yeast added some extra pizazz and sharpness to the feel. A simple fruit beer isn't going to just cut it at this Pizza Port and this one delivered.