Blueberries Feel Pain
Off Color Brewing

 

No bottling date I can find but 2020 release
Consumed 5/30/20

I don’t get a lot on the nose but it makes up for it when drinking. I LOVE the subtle blueberry and mouthfeel. Just the right amount of carbonation. It’s not too tart too which sometimes I think Off Color wilds can go. One of my favorites of theirs and I’ll always buy one each year.

 

A pleasant surprise.
Apprehensive that I spent too much for a Wild (not my favorite style), I made a drink-it-fresh situation worse and held it. Running out of time, I decided to share the fun at a Christmas party. I opened it (with minimal foam) and several of us enjoyed my delay.

Blueberries had less tart and more bubbles than anticipated. A distinct flavor, less tannic and acidic than two earlier reviewers noted; so my wait, actually, worked. Finished dry. Paired well with mostly dry cheeses; cleansed the palate and readied me for the next butter fat flavor.

OA, I much like Off Color and Blueberries did not disappoint; but at that price point, once is enough.

 

Enjoyed on tap at The Mousetrap. Pours a light purple with a slight, pinkish-purple head that leaves a bit of lace.
Aroma is blueberry, slightly bready with touches of wine and tannins.
Taste is big time blueberry, slightly tart and sweet. A touch astringent with just a bit of funk and spice.
Mouthfeel is medium and a bit dry.
An amazing beer. For me, it was like the essence of blueberry became a beer. Very cool.

 

 

i like this for its process intensity and uniqueness more than i like it because it tastes good, if that makes sense, and its not like it doesnt taste good, because it does, but its awesome in how its done, a blueberry wild beer done with yeast isolated from blueberries themselves, which is a cool idea, and something i know mystic back east has done quite a lot of, but i have not seen as much of this sort of thing as i would have expected by now, given the demand for new yeasts and the proliferation of this kind of beer and its popularity. pinkish purple in color, fizzy like a soda but settling quickly from the bottle, sediment at the bottom. amazing label art here too, like all the off color stuff, particularly those in the large format. this has the little mousy guy smashing a blueberry with a hammer! aroma is sour and vinegar forward, but not sharp like in the flanders sense, more tame, but its not the funky floral complexion i expected, and this is rather acidic as they go. the blueberry tastes juicy in here, natural enough, but not a ton of it really for the color, the flavor seems largely fermented out and this is really dry to finish. strong red and white wine notes alike, tannic as heck, gritty almost in feel, but light in body for the abv, which is super well disguised, although i feel it setting in right away. bacterial acidity is a little harsh on the teeth, but the carbonation is awesome and keeps it moving well enough. a really odd beer, the yeast profile is new to me, and its all real unfamiliar as a whole. i think its good, but its not amazing, too acidic to show all its nuance i think, and extremely expensive, which is also annoying, but understandable given the process here. one for the nerds for sure, a learning experience for the drinker as much as the brewer i would think...

 

Poured into a tulip, the appearance was a semi-burnt red to purple color with a sly lingering little white foamy head that fell off at a steady pace. Not much lace, but somewhat stringy, quaint and sliding. The aroma had some blueberry flesh, light wood/somewhat like oak, light vinous, and some grassy fresh hops. The flavor was vinous semi-soured but balanced with the blueberry fresh sweetness. Light tartness from the blueberry skin to lightly blend with the woodiness. Barely any aftertaste but a sly crisp semi-sweet and tart little finish. The feel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Quaint carbonation and the ABV felt good. Overall, pretty nice sour ale and since I’m a fan of blueberries, that’s another plus for this beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

enjoyed December 2016

Poured into a tulip. Pours a clearruby red or garnet with light pink head. The bubbles are coarse and fade quickly. No real lacing, just a light ring of bubbles around the edges.

Aroma is a little funky and tart or almost yogurt-like with some nondescript fruitiness.

Flavor is tart and mildly funky. There's a light acetic character which blends well. Not overly acidic though. The blueberry and jammy frutiness comes out with a bit of warming and time. It's rather subdued but supports the flavor of the beer well.

Well carbonated and a bit prickly on the tongue. Has a decent amount of body for a wild ale. Not thin or tannic or astringent at all.

Overall this is pretty tasty. I'm looking forward to picking up a few more and letting them sit. I think the acidity and brett needs more time to develop. I'm interested in trying this again with more time to sour to make the fruit pop and underlying funk to develop.