Bleurbon Berry
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

This is jarringly tart at first, but it settles nicely. Lots of blueberry flavor with a ribbon of barrel lended vanilla. Some bourbonesque cream and more fruit this is so delicious.

 

 

 

 

First pours were beautiful, bottom half of bottle was thick and chunky, not as bad as peach and apricot funkers were.
Nice oak and berry on the nose and taste. A touch vinegary.
Like the other Pizza Boy bottles I've had, solid beer, not worth the price.

 

 

 

The beer pours the expected hazy garnet with minimal head (basically identical to the base beer)... and in the right light, some ruby tones. The nose is potent and funky with strong notes of bourbon barrel vanilla that cut through aggressive blueberry, orange marmalade, and yeast notes. The nose reminds me most of a cascade sour by comparison. As expected, the taste is relatively barrel-driven with strong oak and blueberry dominating the palate. I'm surprised by how light bodied and drinkable this beer is. It's lowly carbonated with mild-medium acidity, peppery bitterness on the palate, and great fruit character. Overall, I still prefer the regular royal tannin bomb, but this adds a unique barrel element to a pizza boy favorite.

Slightly more than a finger's worth fizzy froth quickly recedes leaving no lacing what so ever... The color is berry with some faint purplish undertones... A limited bit of moderate paced carbonation can be seen towards the top of the glass... A big regal nose... Lactic sourness and a bit of funkiness lead the nose... The blue berries are present bit linger a bit beneath the surface... The bourbon notes are rather subdued... There are some faint vanilla notes present as well... Very enticing nose... The flavor profile is rather intense... The lactic sourness is at the forefront of the palate as expected... Funkiness is abound... The blue berries appear for a split second before becoming a distant memory... There are lite vanilla and bourbon notes on the finish... The fruity tartness, not necessarily blue berries, rise on the distant finish... On the lighter side of medium bodied... Spry with lively carbonation... Puckering and saliva inducing... An excellent brew... Al and Terry continue to turn out quality sours one right after another... Highly enjoyable and highly recommended if you can found a bottle...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Deep red body. Almost purple. Medium white head. Medium collar.

Smell - Vanilla and oak. Light blueberry, but it's mostly just berry. Not very acidic.

Taste - More tart. More bluerry. Oaky as hell. Bourbon softens the sourness. Vanilla. Oak persists throughout.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Didn't like this as much as Abascio-Cell. Oak dominates.