Fruitsicle - Raspberry Blood Orange
Odd Side Ales

 

12 oz can, mfg. 2/23/21, into Prairie Rastal.

Has a really nice fruited wine color - I'd say it's a strawberry jam blush, with a carbonated pink head of 1 finger. No lacing.

Aroma gives me sort of a wine cooler vibe, but with more fruit and less artificial flavorings. It's like a blood orange wine cooler, it's very zippy and carbonated smelling. Not really any grain or yeast, not much like a beer.

Flavor is similar but better. Zippy, carbonated, tart, good bacteria souring here. It's a lot like a punched up zippy Raspberry AF (St. Arnold's) which is probably my favorite session Berliner. Raspberry and blood orange of course, but not a whole lot else. Maybe a slight dry cider note. Of course there's no lactose or vanilla or any pastry elements so it's pretty straight forward. I like it quite a bit, but it's not super exciting or anything.

Feel is carbonated, empty, slightly starchy, no alcohol, drinks like a soda pop.

Overall, a fun beer. I could see this being applicable to consume whatever the occasion may be. It's easy and flavorful and does its job. On a session sour standpoint - for my personal notes - it's less complex than Odell's Sippin' Pretty but about as flavorful, and has less raspberry than R'AF but a similar build.

Completely in the realm of a what I'd consider a great session sour. A bit boring, but that's okay because you'll be chaining these back to back without any second thought.

Affordable $8.99 4 pack @ Friar Tuck's in Peoria, IL

 

 

 

 

 

Taking the trend of smoothie ale to the sour side, a mildly tart base flavor adds balance and intrigue to the succulence of both raspberries, blood oranges and a rounded addition of milk sugars.

The Raspberry Blood Orange rendition of Fruitsicle pours a turbulent mauve appearance with a billowing slight peach froth. A radiant array of fruit aromas run the gamut of citrus, cider, red berry, wine and a slight floral funk that points toward the wildness inside. Early maltiness lays tracks of fructose, honey, taffy and light pastry on the early palate for a slightly sweet introduction.

And as the sweetness starts to break apart, the fruit flavors roll boldly onto the middle palate. Strong overtones of raspberries and blood oranges are front and center on the senses but the undercurrent of white wine, dry cider, gooseberry and melon keep the fruit additions grounded and beer worthy. Moderate tartness balances the lingering malts and adds a great sense of drinkability to the copious fruits as the late palate is tepid with both bitterness and a light pectin bite.

Medium bodied, and perhaps a little full for sour ale, the fermentation character is mild as not not over ferment the ale. The fruit sweetness remains to keep the berry and citrus identities sharp. A light woodsy finish of burlap accompanies a mild wine-like character into a medium length afterglow.

Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a 12 fl oz can on August 12, 2018. Juicy, fruity and slightly tart ale brewed with lactose, raspberries and blood oranges.

Released summer 2018; drank 7/29/18 @ the Yarchives.

Pink appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge, noisy white/pink head; frothy lace.

Thin mouthfeel.

Raspberry, orange citrus & mild honeyed wheat flavors; mild carbonation bite on the finish.

Summer beer excellence; fruity & faintly tart but not sour. I'd have another.