Blueberry Grail Ale
Barrel House Brewing Company

Had on tap at Grail, this actually is good spot to hit for beer in Clifton just to try this.

Pours a copper with blueberries floating in it. There was a finger of sticky head. The smell was well...blueberry, not surprising. Tasted great for a fruuit beer, other than the high price I would make this a regular.

Had this beer on tap at the Holy Grail, where it's exclusively served to my understanding.

Appearance: Bright amber beer, very clear with light carbonation running throughout. The head is very short and watery, with decent retention and light rings of lace left behind. Whole blueberries are spooned into the beer after the pour, and they hang around in the bottom of the glass.

Smell: The smell is very light, fruity from the berries and caramelly from the malts with a little citrus character.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Mild and not overwhelming blueberry taste in this beer - not artificial or overly sugary in any way. Sweetness tastes really natural and is balanced well by a slight hoppiness and toasty, almost crunchy maltiness. The mouthfeel is very light and juicy, which really adds to the enjoyment of this beer. I don't know the ABV, but I can't even detect the alcohol in the taste.

Drinkability: Definitely easy to drink, but I can't say I'd want to pair it up with everything. I do enjoy fishing the berries out of the bottom of the glass at the end, however.

On a side note, for those who have never visited the Holy Grail it's worth a shot. They don't have tons of craft beers, but they usually have 3-4 taps dedicated to non-macros. This is always on tap, and there's always a Morelein, too. If nothing else, stop in when you're visiting other Clifton beer spots like Fries and the Catskellar.

I found this place called The Holy Grail near the University of CIncinnati (http://www.holygrailclifton.com/). Their beer line-up is kind of average, a few notables like Goose IPA and Sam's OFest, but mostly macros taps. But this one I had not heard of before. I learned that the Barrel House is brewing this beer for them. They add blueberry extract during production and when it's served, there is a tablespoon or so of fresh blueberries added to the beer. They mostly sink down to the bottom but they make an impact.

For starters, some of the bits of blueberry are caught up in the thin head, kind of swirling around there on top. I can't remember the last time (Blue Moon notwithstanding) there was fresh fruit in my brew. This works, though.

The beer has a slightly hoppy, very fresh blueberry aroma. Not real strong or sweet, but fresh, natural.

The taste is a pale ale style. The blueberry is well done, not syrupy or sugary. The sweetness tends to counteract some of the hops that try to come in late. The balance isn't bad through all this, and the beer has some staying power.

The mouthfeel is average, as is the carbonation level. Easily the best and most drinkable beer in the place, though the Goose IPA might have something to say about that.