Bluviolent
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Well, then, here's an interesting concoction from Hoppin' Frog and Stillwater. Simply billed as an "ale with blueberry and lime," but the base itself gets a bit overtaken by the fruit. My best impression is that it comes across as something between a Belgian dark ale and a braggot, with plenty of sweetness from the caramelized blueberry, assorted spice and ester notes, and the ABV presence of a strong Belgian beer. The blueberry flavors are prominent and sweet, with the lime entering in just at the finish, consistent with the label text. I would get this again if I see it on shelves in the future.

 

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 9/2017. Pours slightly hazy deep/dark ruby red/purple color with a small dense light pink head with decent retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Slight spotty lacing clings on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy blueberries, fruit skin, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, pear, red apple, red grape, lime, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of molasses, nuttiness, pepper, roast, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of blueberries, lime zest, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt sweetness; with great strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy blueberries, fruit skin, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, pear, red apple, red grape, lime, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of molasses, nuttiness, pepper, roast, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal bitterness, yeast spiciness, and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of juicy/tart/tangy blueberries, fruit skin, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, pear, red apple, red grape, lime, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light molasses/pepper, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of blueberries, lime zest, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt sweetness; with a nice malt/spiciness and tart/tangy fruit balance, with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from tart/tangy fruit and spicy yeast. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, fairly acidic/tangy, and lightly slick/syrupy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 12%. Overall this is an excellent imperial fruit beer! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of blueberries, lime zest, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt sweetness; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the huge ABV. Was not sure what to expect. This tastes like a fruited Belgian Strong Dark ale, with a fuller/stronger malty sweet finish. Very well balanced fruit, malts, and yeast esters; not overly sweet with adequate lingering dryness. A very impressive, unique, and enjoyable offering. Not overdone on any aspect.

 

Purple-red with a light pastel, pink-purple head leaving creamy lace and a persistent film.

Smell is toasty and even roasty with metallic blueberry skin.

Taste is sweet berries giving a slick, round and syrupy feel with a mild carbonation and semi-dry finish. There's a hint of cracker in there, but overall this is a bit sweet and almost like a wine-cooler.

It's unfortunate a Gose collaboration wasn't pursued here, as a combo of a Frog Shandy and Stillwater Gose sounds like an excellent starting point.