Colossal Blackberry Hill
Southern Grist Brewing Co.

 

Super large 16 oz can (just kidding, it's a regular one), dated 6/22/21, into Bearded Iris Blue Logo stem.

Just a ridiculous shade of purple, as expected, looks like jam or berry puree or something of that nature, with a pinkish-purple head of 3 fingers, receding gradually to a half finger and leaving spots of lacing.

The mixture of lactose and all of this berry puree in the aroma is just intoxicating. It smells like berry sorbet or wildberry ice cream. A faint herbal note after that brings a sort of artisan ice cream vibe. Crazy. I'm getting used to these Hill beers now (practically every night) so they're not blowing me away as much as they used to, but this is still out of this world.

Flavor is a mixture of tart blackberry and sweet sangria, with hints of berry sorbet floating throughout. Very tasty. I didn't expect the sangria aspect, but it makes total sense considering the thousands of pounds of blackberry they supposedly used. Further sips bring that berry sorbet full circle. Shades of plum skin as it warms. It's more tart than it is sour - definitely not very sour.

Feel is acidic, carbonated, surprisingly VERY light, slight pucker, with some lingering acidic bite. No alcohol heat.

Overall, not the gargantuan I thought it'd be, but it's still a killer beer. I find that I'm surprised by some of the questionable Hill beers being totally amazing, and then others that sound amazing that just kind of stick the landing. That's why I have to try them all, and thankfully, there's hundreds.

Edit : 2nd can was even better yet. Works well after having an IPA. Lactose really shines, like a fruit smoothie.

$22 / 4-pack @ Southerngristbrewing.com

Canned 06/22/2021. Enjoyed on 07/21/2021.

 

Double fruit beers are easy but Southern Grist steps up their game to the colossal level. With three times the amount of blackberry in a regular fruit beer, they've basically produce alcoholic jam.

Pouring a dark purple ruddy color, Colossal Blackberry Hill forms a slightly lavender lather that quickly seduces the nose with the sultry stewed dark berry scent, redolent of citrus, dark fruit and a strong pastry perfume. Equally as appetizing, the first sip coats the tongue with a rich blackberry glaze, pump with candied sweetness, taffy and sweet cream.

The richness of vanilla and intense blackberry flavor coats the tongue in dessert-like fashion, and in anticipation of the beer's sourness to assist in balance. Lime, lemon, gooseberry, sour grape and crabapple types of sourness pull from the beer's natural acidity and give the berries even more of a tart balance than what the raspberries provide by themselves. Clean and sharp in sourness, the late taste still remains both sweet and tart in a fruit smoothie kind of way.

Full bodied for sour ale, the beer finishes expectedly both sweet and sour with hints of wine musst and burlap in aftertaste. A wine-like alcohol spice is low and acts to give the acidity a peppery balance and a slight plum wine vapor. Its a fantastic taste for when you want to drink your Pop Tarts.