Forest Fruits
Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd

Forest FruitsForest Fruits
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From:
Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
4.2%
Score:
65
Avg:
2.19 | pDev: 21.92%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
20
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 18, 2014
Added:
Jun 23, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Poupae:
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Rated by Poupae from Thailand

3/5  rDev +37%

Mar 10, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.5 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Jan 18, 2014
 
Rated: 1 by Beer-Fetish from Canada (ON)

Jan 07, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by beerhunter13 from Canada (ON)

Jan 03, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by dcmchew from Romania

Nov 01, 2013
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

1.94/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.75
Clear gold under a very short, but persistent head. Pretty decent sheet of lace.

Smells like cough syrup. Tastes like cough syrup. Lightweight, slightly syrupy mouth feel. Sweet and artificially fruity.

Using Benylin as a flavouring agent when making beer has got to be some kind of cheating.

Maybe passable as a summertime brew. Serving suggestion is over ice, so take that as a clue.
Oct 21, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by artemh from Canada (AB)

Oct 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Cidius from Canada (AB)

Sep 30, 2013
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

2.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 2
Wychwood Brewery uses artificial flavours in place of any actual fruit or fruit juices, but were apparently above using artificial colours. This flat, lusterless golden beer would look pretty pathetic even for an ordinary ale, but especially for something called 'Forest Fruits'.

This "mixed berry" beer fails to mention any specific fruit (by which I mean artificial flavour) and only red and black raspberries are featured on the label. The aroma does make me think of blue-raspberry slushies, though there's a (heavily synthetic) strawberry note too. Saccharine sweet, it smells like bubblegum. I'm having a hard time believe no aspartame was involved.

It did seem odd to me the brewery added sugar. That was before trying it - now that's I've actually had a few sips I think it's downright insane. This is the reason Forest Fruits is among the lowest rated fruit beers; it drinks like pure sugar water. You can practically feel little white crystals between your teeth! Kool-Aid is almost bitter by comparison. This is liquid candy!

The extreme excess of sugar makes it difficult to taste much of anything else; you might not even know fruit flavour was added. Clutching at straws, I'd say I taste a bit of blueberry jam (actually it is very reminiscent of the jam you'd find in a fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cup). I might also entertain the notion of puff pastry but, again, these are flies around the sugar elephant.

Wychwood Forest Fruits is brewed without any actual fruit, fruit juice or even concentrates. It does, however, have a truckload of sugar. Seriously, one bottle must contain two weeks worth of servings. My guess is two weeks worth. This beer will grab the attention of hummingbirds and hopefully doctors and diabetes foundations, but don't you waste any time on it.
Aug 10, 2013
 
Rated: 1.5 by hotsudge from Canada (ON)

Jul 21, 2013
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Reviewed by canucklehead from Canada (BC)

2.34/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
I mostly really like the Wychwood beers and thought I would try this as the weather is hot and the deck beckons. Damn , I could barely finish it as the cloying sweetness was over the top. The ale base was destroyed by the jammy fruit flavours that continued right through an overly long aftertaste. Avoid at all costs
Jul 12, 2013
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Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

2.52/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
500ml bottle, apparently only available at the evil overlord of liquor store chains (that's singular, yeah) in Alberta. Nice bramblepatch-fronted view of somewhat fire-laden forest in the background on the label, though.

This beer pours a crystal clear, pale golden yellow hue, with two fingers of densely puffy, bubbly off-white head, which leaves some random splatters of ocean spray lace around the glass as it quickly settles.

It smells of rather pungent blackberry, sweet raspberry, and strawberry fruitiness, a pastry-like pale grainy maltiness, a further independent-seeming white sugar sweetness, and some weakly edgy leafy, floral hop bitterness. The taste is still way too damned sweet, what with the, as the label calls it, bramble patch fruitiness - has this purported 'patch' not heard of pure fruit balance, instead of sugar-laden, crying kid mollifying, bullshit? Instead, we get a saccharine ode to all things wrong in diabetes-land, and I'm not just talkin' 'bout 'merika! Sure, there's some well-obfuscated, generally unnecessary pale malt, but by this point, who the fuck cares?

The bubbles are frothy, but in that easily forgotten manner, the body a pretty hefty medium weight, but at what cost, as the smoothness sneaks along under the same pithy pretenses. It finishes well on the sweet side, fruity in the most egregious morning cartoon sort of way, with an unpleasant, lurking sort of soul-reclaiming mustiness.

There's fruity, and then there's this - overcompensating awfulness. Wychwood should be ashamed about this - they generally make decent enough stuff - but, fuuuuck. Who are they pandering to here? Anyways, avoid, if you value your diabetes offset points.
Jun 29, 2013
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Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

2.55/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
500ml Bottle from the Orleans Ontatio LCBO for $3

Appearance - Clear yellow colour with a small size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there isn't much lacing. The head lasted for around 2 minutes.

Smell - Corn, grains, raspberries/strawberries

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste corn, apples, and grains. There is also quite a bit of strawberry taste.. more of a artificial flavour than the actual fruit. It ends with a slightly tart strawberry sweet aftertaste.

Overall – Reminds me a bit of a strawberry candy. Not something I'd buy or drink again, but it peaked my curiousity. The fruity flavour is too artificial and there is too much adjunct taste to it.
Jun 20, 2013
Photo of TheHammer
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)

2/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.75
Appearance: Poured with a little bit more then a finger of head and produced a little lace, but did not retain it's head. The body is a clear, lager gold of all things with incredible ample but thin carbonation.

Smell: Smells fruity...but odd...it reminds me of juice concentrate from a can before it's mixed with water....only sweeter. It certainly has a mixed berry smell to it, but it's off. I'm going to pretend it's just the way it's meshing with the malt, as there isn't a lot of beer smell to this.

Taste: It doesn't taste like a beer. It tastes like I'm drinking carbonated fruit drink. Important distinction, not fruit juice, fruit drink, the blatantly artificial stuff as that sugary taste is backed by an almost aspartame like quality. The taste doesn't change at all from start to finish, there's no bitter kick, there's no beer elements apart from near the end where the carbonation makes itself known. It's like drinking a can of barely spiked berry punch from a juice box.

Mouthfeel: Sweet in extreme and it cloys moderately, the carbonation doesn't do anything to accent the beer and there's no transitioning to speak of. The aftertaste is the same as the main taste, and as I said, doesn't taste even remotely real.

Drinkability: This isn't refreshing, it's sweet...it's like drinking liquid wildberry fruit snacks, the kind you used to get in your lunch as a kid. It's not very refreshing as a result, and while it's not overtly offensive to get down, it's far to sweet to be tolerable.

Final Thoughts: I used to like Wychwood, Hobgoblin was great, Fiddlers Elbow was great but after disappointments in Black Wych, Wychcraft and the awful Bah Humbug, this monstrosity punctuates my desire to no longer frequent them. Maybe they were trying for the cider market, but even that I don't buy as this is worlds sweeter then cider. Heck this rivals ice wine in sweetness, only at least with ice wine you don't get the aspartame like taste. You will want to pass.
Jun 12, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by NightINgale from Russian Federation

May 26, 2013
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Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

1.98/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 1.75
A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2013. Picked up from a supermarket a while back. A mixed berry fruit beer - described on the label as a traditionally crafted beer infused with bramble berries. I have a bad feeling about this...

Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear light-gold colour with medium carbonation. Forms a decent head of white foam that lasts for a minute or two before dissipating. Aroma of very sweet fruity notes - borders on cloying. Hints of blackberry, raspberry, strawberry and faint blueberry, with perhaps a twinge of malt underneath. Dominated by the fruit and rather sickly.

Tastes of intensely sweet fruit flavours with an artificial twang. Notes of blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, sugar, faint malt and stewed leaves. Hints of sweetener and harsh cardboard in the background, which clash unpleasantly. No bitterness to speak of. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, though pretty thin and insubstantial. Decent carbonation. Somewhat astringent, with an acrid aftertaste of fruity notes, sweetener and cardboard. Yuck.

Shite - one of the most disgusting brews I've ever had. Relentlessly sweet and cloying, with an aroma/flavour that is overwhelmingly fruity (in a bad way). Some nasty lurking off-notes as well, especially the harshness that underpins the flavour. Not nice at all. It's also interesting to observe that the colour doesn't hint at the flavour - the're no indication that it contains fruit. Maybe it's so that people with a sweet tooth can pretend to be drinking proper beer. At any rate, this is utter shit. If you love good beer I sincerely recommend steering clear at all costs.
May 21, 2013
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Reviewed by Ciocanelu from Romania

1.9/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
500 ml bottle, poured into a long tulip glass.

Clear, golden color, head looks good and has good retention, forms some decent lacing.
Fruity, artificial smell.
Taste is mostly some berry-bubblegum or something like that. Sweet, artificial and unpleasant.
Body is light with decent carbonation.

Overall, very disappointing.
Dec 07, 2012
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Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia

1.53/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Pours gold with a small fading head.
Nose shows overt berry confectionery notes, very artificial in nature. Just smells like lollies really...
Flavours are just as sweet. Very lolly-like. Waaay too sweet. Pure berries. Mainly strawberry.
Feels watery. Needs a lot more carbonation. Then at least it could pass as a alcopop.
Blend some strawberry and blackberry lollies with some sugar syrup and you'd be pretty close to this.
Oct 23, 2012
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

2.53/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
500ml Bottle best before 30 Apr 2013: opened and reviewed on 26 July 2012.

Light amber with next to no head, so could be a typical UK bitter by looks.

However there is an intense sweet fruit aroma and taste; with added barley sugar to make sure you know it's sweet.

Just too sweet for me: I assume it has been produced to try and get into the sweet cider market?

Can't really knock the brew: it claims to be a 'Mixed berry fruit beer'. I would like to see a health and teeth cleaning warning as well because this will rot your teeth.
Jul 26, 2012
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

2.31/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Clear amber colour with a foamy, pinky sized white head on top that stays pretty well. There is a few bubbles rising to the top but it is far to light looking for the style.

Very fruity on the nose, even for a fruit beer, with tonnes of blackberries and raspberries that naturally overpower the nostrils and make it hard to detect anything else. There is a lot of sugar and a general sweetness but not a great smell really.

Raspberry and blackberry upfront along with sugar and a sweet bitterness but again not great at all.

A light medium body with a lot of carbonation and a very sweet tang that came on a little too strong for my liking. 2.5

Very fruity, even for the style and far too sweet for me with a sort of artificial taste and to be honest not enjoyable in the slightest.

1001 Beers Blog: http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com
Jun 23, 2012
Forest Fruits from Wychwood Brewery Company Ltd
Beer rating: 65 out of 100 with 20 ratings