Grape Escape
O'Fallon Brewery

 

This brew is a clear amber color with a slim, fading head. The aroma has a fruit note...I suppose it has a little grape...like grape soda. Not much else, maybe a little grain underneath. The taste is dryish, a little tart, but also flavorless. Again, some grape soda, but not much malt or beer flavor. No hop presence. Light in body, and not a lot going on. Disappointing.

 

not at all my favorite. a grape berliner, and although it sure seems like the berliner underneath it isnt bad, i think the grape aspect makes this seem cheap and sort of fake where other beers in this category succeed is the incorporation of fine quality wine grapes, whole fruits and things like that, giving the beer a wine complexion that i often love with the tannic and acidic base beer. but this seems almost like a purple grape candy thing, sweet and artificial, almost gimmicky as they go, less special, less interesting, and way less good, at least for me. they say wine grape juice, but it doesnt present itself that way to me, especially not compared to the best in the style. the sweetness and the overt forwardness of the grape element is too much for me, and it overpowers what i reckon is a decent base beer. acidity is fine, carbonation is there, and the body is nice too, i think this would stand up fine without the grape, and maybe even be a better beer. this seems designed for those who need a flavored drink, intended to appeal to fringe beer drinkers, which i suppose there is a place for, but this is a far cry from being a peer of the best grape berliner types out there. disappointing for me.

Poured out a clear, orange color with pinkish/white foam. It smelled of grapes and a slight tartness. Some sweet dark grape flavor with a tart kick. Light bodied and crisp.

Poured from 12-ounce bottle into a soda fountain glass. Pale, clear purplish orange in color, with a rapidly-dissipating white head. Aroma is malt forward, with some fruity tartness in the background. Light bodied, without much depth of flavor. Light malts and lots of grape juice on the palate, not overly tart or sour. Some lingering sweetness and tartness on the finish, The sour character of this seems rather artificial, which may be attributable to the kettle-souring process. In spite of that, this is an OK beer.

For a Berliner Weissbier it sure is weak. Going in I either expected some lemon flavor of acidic tartness or at least some grape flavors and I got neither. Just an adjacent lager like flavor with just the mildest twinkle of brett you ever saw. I guess I really shouldn't be so surprised since the pumpkin beer variations are all lackluster. Avoid if you can.

 

 

Pours a clear copper coor. 1/2 inch head of an off-pink color. Slight retention and poor lacing. Smells of medicinal grape, pale malt, hint of sweet malt, and adjunct. Barely fits the style of a Berliner Weissbier. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a high carbonation level. Tastes of slight grape, pale malt, wheat, hint of adjunct, hint of sweet malt, and a hint of yeast. Overall, disappointing aroma, body is subtle, high carbonation, poor appearance, but the blend is not reminiscent of a Berliner Weissbier.