Huckleberry Blonde
Mick Duff's Brewing Company

Sampler at the brewery- Smells of grains and berries. The taste is easy drinking and berries. Tasty.

16oz glass at the brewpub in downtown Sandpoint - it wasn't particularly difficult for the winsome bartendress to convince me to order this one first, given my pale-ass, disheveled in the sunshine self.

This beer appears a murky, pulpy medium magenta colour, with a very thin cap of wispy and bubbly bone-white head, which leaves some dissipating mitochondrial lace around the glass as things quickly move southwards.

It smells of fruity, mildly tart blueberries, also known 'round hereabouts as huckleberries, bready pale malt, subordinated wheat graininess, earthy yeast, and plain leafy weedy hops. The taste is grainy pale malt, a reduced huckleberry (lessened, not concentrated) fruitiness, some subtle wheatiness, land more weak earthy, leafy, and faintly floral hops.

The carbonation is on the low and innocuous side, barely a blip on the ol' froth-o-meter registering, the body an adequate middleweight, mostly due to the fruit aiding and abetting. It finishes sweet, but duly moderated by those same tart 'n tangy huckleberries.

Overall, an easy drinking, coming in off the street out of the 100 degree summer weather madness kind of brew, yeah. Nothing too complicated, just fruit and a sturdy blonde ale underneath it all - hey, I'm almost back to normal temps as of now. Hello, miss?

 

Deep hazy rhubarb in colour, with a mottled light purple creamy head with good retention. Sweet berry fruit yogurt aroma. Tart wheat bite up front, but smooths and sweetens up on the finish with the fruit, crowned by light floral hops. Aftertaste even rolls in waves of tart wheat, sweet berries and grassy hops. Mouthfeel is light but well carbonated. Enjoyable, would make for better hot weather drinking. There's even berry seeds when the remainder of the glass is emptied, they used the real stuff for this, that's for sure. This was really enjoyable, the first beer I tried at this brewpub, and they pulled off a fruit beer with an uncommon berry very well. I'd have this one again for sure.