Cherry Sanders
Ascension Brewing Company

16 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy medium orange/amber, light reddish/copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of juicy/tart/tangy red cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, peach, pear, melon, red apple, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. A bit of cinnamon/gingerbread notes as well. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of cherries, fruity yeast, earthy hops, and pale/wheat malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of juicy/tart/tangy red cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, peach, pear, melon, red apple, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness; and cherry tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy red cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, peach, pear, melon, red apple, wheat, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity yeast, earthy hops, and pale/wheat malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness and tart/tangy fruit balance; with minimal astringent/puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and tart/tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp/acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is good. A bit rough finishing. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.5%. Overall this is a nice fruited American blonde ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity yeast, earthy hops, and pale/wheat malt flavors; smooth and fairly crisp to drink with the mellowly bitter/acidic/tangy/drying finish. Well balanced between authentic cherries, fruity yeast, earthy hops, and pale/wheat malts. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A nicely enjoyable offering, and good style example. Wish it was more refreshing.