Braaaaaaaains - Apricot & Guava
Drekker Brewing Company

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Fruited Sour
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary .25L tulip
Price: n/a
From: My cousin Sam
Purchased: n/a; Received Nov. 23, 2020
Consumed: March 25, 2021
Misc.: No canned on date

Thanks, Sam!

Got a pretty sweet haul from Sam. I asked for some BlackStack and Drekker (I’m surprised I forgot about Fair State), and got a few others thrown in. Waited way too long to have this (he actually sent another package four months later). This one went down as “This Braaaaaaaains is jammed with oodles & oodles of apricot & guava along with vanilla, lactose, and sea salt! It’s tart, sweet, thick, and delicious just like we know you like ‘em.”

Poured a light amber, murky color with one finger of frothy-to-fizzy off-white head. Could see just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Excellent pulpy lacing on the sides of the glass. Bad retention. (Sight - 3.50)

Smelled apricot, vanilla, candied peach, stone fruit, peach ice cream, guava and peach pie with whipped cream. More apricot, peach and vanilla from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted even better than the nose. Got apricot, candied peach, nectarine, vanilla, stone fruit, peach ice cream, guava, peach with whipped cream, lactose and a touch of the mentioned sea salt. (Taste - 4.25)

Medium body. Creamy-to-sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, sweet, pulpy finish. (Feel - 4.50)

This was excellent overall for what it was. Glad I got to try it. (Overall - 4.25)

4.17 | 93 | A-

Pulpy golden orange body. Massive fruit puree, mild stonefruit flesh, mostly guava and tropical fruit, fairly mild acetic acidity, sweet vanilla/lactose- can't seem to tell these apart- with a full slushy body. Low carbonation, par for the course. Fruit!

Review 1477

I love this stuff. It is a beer or not? Anyways this version is Apricot and Guava. The pour of the beer created a two-fingered head and served in a pint glass. The retention of the beer is excellent. The color of the head is orange/yellow. The head is creamy and thick. The color of the beer is a cross between an apricot and salmon. Giving the beer this odd weird orange-yellow hue. The beer has a boat-load of sediment from the fruit making the beer opaque. Strangely, I think the beer looks appetizing.

The aromas in the beer are berries, apricots, vanilla, fruity sweetness, cream, lightly toasted malts, herbal, floral, and tart lemons.

The flavor in the beer is berries, pears, apricots, vanilla, fruity sweetness, milk component, toasted malts, herbal, floral, lemons, earthiness, and subtle peach flavor.

The mouthfeel of the beer is thick, creamy, and tart.

The body of the beer is medium-plus, low carbonation, and full finish.

The addition of the vanilla, for me, did the beer no justice. The vanilla could have been obsoleted and this beer would shine. The apricots clash with the vanilla flavors in the beer. It is not my favorite in the series thus far but I still will drink it when I can. The guava is also lost a little bit in the beer. The sour in the beer is near perfect. I did enjoy this beer.

 

Slushy carrot juice body. Guava and apricot both indeed lead the nose, slightly sour, vanilla, nectarine and mango support. Taste is much the same but the salt cuts in a wonderful way, providing a clear finish. Feel is lighter for the series and style, but still true: cool and slushy. Honestly like it as a tropical getaway beer in winter. The wife liked it

 

 

 

 

Pours a beautiful scarlet orange with no real head. It smells like sour with hint sof fruit and vanilla but not much else. The taste is slightly sour vanilla with hints of guava and apricot with a super thick naked like mouth feel. The taste of the vanilla is not may favorite in this one and holds it back from really being good. Overall not bad but I wouldn't get it again.

Sweet and tart guava, hint of apricot, and hint of vanilla nose on this one! Taste follows with a thick and juicy, balanced, guava-apricot finish...some apricot notes come out more as it warms. I had to search and reach to find the sea salt component, but it shows up subtly on the backend. This is good!

A: The beer is murky brownish yellow in color. It poured with a short white head that left just a minuscule collar of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of guava fruit are present in the nose along with hints of vanilla.
T: The taste mostly has flavors of guava along with notes of lactose and hints of vanilla and guava.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied and a bit pulpy/slushy on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is more fruity than it is sour and has pleasant aromas and flavors of guava.

Serving type: can

 

 

 

 

 

L: A solid orange syrup, with a hue between that of carrot juice and apricot purée. Small rising bubbles form a short-lived cap. Speckles of foam and sediment on the glass.

S: Soft and sweet, the best aromas of guava and apricots are fresh on the nose. A bit of vanilla, cracker malt, and sea salt presence as well.

T: A really serious hopping! The Hallertau Blanc adds a grassy and dry white wine quality that really makes this otherwise sweet and rustic fruit combo. The hops lead then the fruits follow.

F: Slightly thick and syrupy, but considering this was guava-based, Drekker did a really good job of dialing that quality back. Good carbonation and not too sweet.

O: This grew on me as I drank it. Not my favorite in either the Chonk or Braaaaaaaans lines, but I like where they went with it!

 

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a snifter glass. Had a murky, dull orange color and an extremely cloudy consistency. There was a thin, off white, foamy head that quickly dissipated. Above average lacing.

S: A very good aroma of tropical fruit, lactose, vanilla, salt, and stone fruit.

T: Tasted of a hint of lactose (present throughout, though subtle), a lot of tropical fruit (the advertised guava), a hint of sea salt (just enough), a good shot of stone fruit (the advertised apricots), and a bit of vanilla. This is a lively, fruity, and sweet flavor. It's never cloying, but definitely on the sweet side. Tasty stuff.

F: A so-so amount of carbonation with a smooth and creamy finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well made and dynamic sour. Drinkable.