Cherry Blossom Ale
Oliver Brewing Company

 

On tap, pinkish/orange murky amber pour with a head that dissipates into a residual foam layer and leaves some nice curtain lacing.
Flavor is pleasant, somewhat sweet, but also tangy. Fruit/cherry and floral notes provide nice flavor, but are not easily as perceptived in the fragrance.

I’m not a fruit beer drinker, but had to try this one after a fellow beer drinker next to me had one. Not bad, I may even have this one again.

 

 

 

 

It's ok. Tastes like a wheat ale with cherry blossom/sakura. Somewhat on the lighter side in terms of flavor and adjuncts. Definitely well carbonated.

From a can into a pint glass. Pour has a 1/2" head of off-white-pink foam with a hazy cherry-pink body. Scent has a crisp, slightly tart quality to it with notes of cherry and wheat. Taste follows. Feel is on the lighter side, with a pleasantly mild tart cherry aftertaste. Overall a refreshing offering for an early spring day.

Bought from H Street's Craft Beer Cellar DC near Union Station.
I drank this during peak Cherry Blossom week in Washington. So, it all fits... and was refreshing.
Fruit beers can be too sweet, but not Oliver's Cherry Blossom. A nicely tart wheat that would work well in summer also.

As for my micro-review of Oliver... They are about to start their third decade, one of Baltimore's early crafters. Their website doesn't say much about what drives them. But their brewhouse/taproom is in a former warehouse district of Baltimore, so they at least helped Baltimore with its struggles. And for that, I give them pretty good Overall Hugs.

 

Murky puce with a light lavender head. Ok retention, spotty lace. Not an attractive beer.
Smells like sour cherries with a slight floral quality as well, some almond and cinnamon in there, too
Light tart cherry flavor, a hint of breadiness and spice
Medium bodied, could use a touch more carbonation.
Not really my thing, but if you're into what fruit beers were a decade ago or so, it's good.

 

Welcome (back, sort of) to the CANtinuation of New Oliver Beer Sunday (Week 772), which I beCAN last Sunday & did not have a ChANce to finish. Not only does this further The CANQuest (tm), but it also helps to clear a logjam from my reefer. There really is a modicum of reasoning to this ongoing madness.

From the CAN: "Some magic involved."; "The first sign of Spring - cherry blossoms on the tree and Cherry Blossom Ale in the can. This wheat ale is fermented with 588lbs of dark cherries per 20bbl batch for just a hint of sweetness, perfect for any spring day."; ""Oliver Brewing Co. has been proudly brewing craft beer in Baltimore, MD since 1993."

I actually have two CANs for this morning with the first being the one from the approved pic. I beCAN with a Crack! of the vent & a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. The way that it puffed up was startling so I backed off & allowed it to do its thing, forming two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, pink head that resembled freshly-spun cotton CANdy. 8=O Color was likewise a Deep-Pink (SRM = N/A) with NE-quality clarity. Nose left no doubt that cherries were involved! Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium, but very slick in the mouth & on the tongue. The aging has taken the edge off of the sweetness (thankfully) so that it is not as cloying as what @GarthDanielson reported. I CAN see that it had real potential to be too sweet, though. It tasted very much of sweet cherries, which, while that may not be my bag, it is totally fitting for the style. Finish remained sweet, although an argument CAN be made for semi-sweet. Not a bad way to start the day, but knowing that they also make a Sour Cherry CANterpart, I would probably prefer that to this. YMMV.

Now, I have CANother, fresher CAN also for review. How do I know? The label is in the new movie still/frame format, which I really dig! I am reviewing both since Jeff Lebo & his house of CANs wants any & all variations for his CANlection.

From the (newer) CAN: "The Fruits of Our Labor."; "The first sign of Spring - cherry blossoms on the tree and Cherry Blossom Ale in the can. This wheat ale is fermented with 50 gallons of pure dark cherries per 20bbl batch for just a hint of sweetness, perfect for any spring day."; "Oliver Brewing Co. has been proudly brewing craft beer in Baltimore, MD since 1993."

Following the Crack!, the Glug revealed a MUCH lighter-colored beer than in the previous, older iteration. This was closer to a Rosé than the previous near-magenta. The head was likewise lighter, more of a whitish-pink. Hmm. Nose was redolent with sweet cherries! The taste was much sweeter & much more like what @GarthDanielson reported. Whoosh! Man, the sweetness beCAN to get to me almost right away. I do not like sweets as a general rule & this was giving me the willies! Gah. MUCH too sweet for my taste. I liked my aged version better. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

Poured from a can into a shaker pint, the beer is a deep, vibrant, ruby coloring with a foamy, bubbly, pink-tinged head. Aromas of muted cherry tart and sweet, with a toasted grain backbone, and not much else. Flavors are very tart and syrupy sweet cherry forward, sugary and cloying, and this pretty much overpowers anything else that might be in there. Some building acidity the more you drink, and the candy-like flavor profiles really put the works on your sweet tooth. The body is oily slick, and the aftertaste is like cherry cough syrup. Slick, oily finish, with a cloying linger. Not for me.