Castlebrite Apricot Ale
Dragonmead Microbrewery

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From:
Dragonmead Microbrewery
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Pale Wheat Beer
Ranked #46
ABV:
5.1%
Score:
87
Ranked #15,876
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 11.31%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
25
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 20, 2023
Added:
Dec 01, 2005
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  4
Castlebrite is the first fruit beer to come from Dragonmead. This Apricot Ale uses an apricot puree as well as Pale Wheat malt to bring about this wonderfully refreshing brew. This beer starts with a subtle sweetness and slight apricot flavor, and finishes with a palate-cleansing tartness that will leave you wanting more.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Pog-Mo-Thoin:
Photo of Pog-Mo-Thoin
Rated by Pog-Mo-Thoin from Michigan

3.97/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Dec 22, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.54 by TP2MSU from Michigan

Jul 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by szmnnl99 from Michigan

Aug 15, 2020
Photo of robotnewyork
Reviewed by robotnewyork from Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sarah had when we visited Dragon's Landing for the first time. It is a good curve ball to the many IPA and dark, strong ales that Dragonmead has. Nice apricot smell and smooth taste.
Jan 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by rare_bird from Michigan

Dec 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.54 by MIBriton54 from Michigan

Feb 27, 2019
Photo of JimboBrews54
Reviewed by JimboBrews54 from Michigan

5/5  rDev +28.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I have wanted to try this brew for a long time, beautiful bouquet of an ingredient you do not see very often in beer. This is like Blue Moon but with a better taste to it and not as strange tasting. This is a summer beer for sure!
Jan 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by BenjaGrif from Iowa

Dec 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.72 by DanGeo from Michigan

Aug 13, 2017
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Reviewed by StoutHunter from Michigan

3.69/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I picked up a bottle of Dragonmead's Castlebrite Apricot Wheat for $3.09 at The Lager Mill. I've had this beer before and I thought it was just, but now that I saw some bottles of it I'm willing to give it a try again, so lets see how it goes. 2017 Vintage. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks nice, it has a nice design that goes with the name and it's a little eye catching. It poured a darker orange color that took on more of a golden orange color when held to the light and it had a fingers worth of slightly tan head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away and it left a little bit of spotty lacing behind. This is a pretty nice looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a medium amount of sweetness with a nice fruity, apricot and stone fruit like aromas that impart a nice juicy and candied apricot like aromas. Up next comes a little bit of a funky and lactic aroma that goes into some creamy sweetness with hardly any malty aroma with only a little bit of malty aromas. This beer has a nice aroma, but I could go with out the funky lactic like aroma.

T- The taste seems to be similar to the aroma and it starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with the apricot being the first to show up and it imparts a nice apricot flavor that is creamy and it's not as juicy as it was in the aroma. Up next comes a little bit of bitterness with some sweet malts and a little bit of malts showing up. On the finish there's a just a little bit of tartness with a creamy apricot flavor in the aftertaste. This is a pretty nice tasting beer, the apricot is showcased nicely.

M- Fairly smooth, crisp, a little refreshing, medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel is pretty nice and it works well with this beer.

Overall I thought this was a pretty nice beer and it's a nice example of the style, it lives up to it's name with the apricot being showcased nicely. This beer had nice drinkability, I could drink a couple of these, especially in the summer time. What I like the most about this beer is how well the apricot is highlighted, it makes it live up to it's name. What I like the least about this beer is the funky lactic aroma, it would be better if it didn't have that. I would buy this beer again when in the mood for an apricot beer and I would recommend it to anyone looking for same. All in all I liked this beer, it was pretty straightforward and for the most part it lived up to my expectations. It's one of the better beers that I've had from this brewery and it's a nice example of the style. Nice job guys, this is a tasty apricot beer, keep it up.
Aug 02, 2017
Photo of Tripel_Threat
Reviewed by Tripel_Threat from Michigan

4.04/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
One of the better wheat ales I've had. Hazy gold in color, really rich looking. A thin collar of foam. Served on tap im a shaker pint. Aromas of freshly pulped apricot, with some nice wheat banana and spice notes. Feel is medium and prickly, with big juicy apricot flavors bursting forth ahead of a great wheat base finish.
Jun 18, 2017
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 10/20/2016. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy golden orange color with a small fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lightly tart apricot, peach, pear, apple, wheat, lightly toasted biscuit, light honey, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of apricot and bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big lightly tart apricot, peach, pear, apple, wheat, lightly toasted biscuit, light honey, herbal, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness and light fruit tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of apricot, peach, pear, apple, wheat, biscuit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a short bit. Very nice robustness and balance of apricots, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/tartness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp/dry, bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/acidic balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.1%. Overall this is a very nice fruited pale wheat ale. All around nice robustness and balance of apricots, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
Apr 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by Kerrie from Michigan

Aug 30, 2015
Photo of 98green
Reviewed by 98green from Michigan

3.81/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at an Old Chicago. A fine fruity wheat beer. Maybe a touch on the sweet side, but the apricot flavor is nice and not too cloying. I would certainly try again
Aug 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by Giggy from Michigan

Apr 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by FaradayUncaged from Michigan

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Dustin_A_Stoutdrinker from Michigan

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by km02600 from Michigan

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by brutusmuktuk from Michigan

Feb 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by klipper from Michigan

Sep 08, 2013
Castlebrite Apricot Ale from Dragonmead Microbrewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 25 ratings