Cherry Bomber Ale
Golden City Brewery

 

Brewed as a Kolsch-styled beer but overwhelmed by generous cherry additions, the base beer is fairly negligible. But with those strong, robust, savory and tart stone fruit overtones, the cherry tree orchards are in serious jeopardy.

This Cherry Bomber of a beer pours with the fruity gusto of straight up cherry juice. Dark red with a splash of lavender, ruby and mahogany, the beer rises with a quick and slightly pink stained froth. Its scent is rife with the cherry fruits and all its juiciness, berry, grape, plum and currant nuances, and a hint of soured milk for extra measure. Tangy sweet on the front of the tongue, its malty flavors are crisp and honey sweet like rhubarb pie.

But let's be honest, the beer isn't about the beer. Its about those stubborn, bold and brash cherry flavors that splash the middle palate like heavy wine spritzers, sangria and extracted cherry syrups. Any measure of more finessed malt flavors, fermentation bio formations or hop influences are pushed underneath the flavor threshold as the beer sings with the praises of cherries and all their condensed, macerated, funky, tart and rife personality traits on the late palate.

Medium bodied because of the sheer fruit sugars that remain, the same juicy sweetness that overwhelms the tastebuds also provides a weight on the tongue that clings like cherry soda, and with the same carbonated creaminess and sprite. A medium long aftertaste of cherry pulp makes the beer a one-trick-pony. But what a trick it is.