Fruit Machine - Kiwi, Strawberry, Lemon
Decadent Ales

 

this is not great looking beer, but it tastes nice, cool that the kiwi fruit is so forward. what would be radical is if these guys all of a sudden made like a really well refined helles lager and throw everyone off. this is a far cry from that, a massively fruited super raw sour, but there is lots to like about it too. hazy as can be, thick like seems to be trendy these days, sedimented, and without much head even though it doesnt feel flat. the nose here is lightly tart, not a ton of acid to this, but what is there brings out the lemon, i also love the natural strawberry with the lemon, a very lemonade vibe, but the kiwi part of this makes it straight up smell and taste like one of those capri sun pouches from the old days, sweet a bit through most of it, super juicy, and just a tad unnatural, but more due to the concentration of the fruit and its intensity than because it actually seems artificial in any real way. the flavor is good overall, its cool to actually taste the kiwi so prominently, and it seems like the most natural of the fruits in here to me. not too acidic, more grain than necessary but at least it isnt thin, and overall i thought this was one of the more drinkable beers ive had from decadent, they always seem so overdone and sugary. the capri sun flavor is a real throwback...

Poured from a pint can into a pint glass. One fingered off white head with a bit of lacing. The body of the beer is a light strawberry color. Very appetizing aroma of a fruit bouquet, with strawberry being the most dominate. The first sip is very fruity, almost like a smoothie but not thick like many of the lactose infused beers, and not overly sour like many other Gose style beers. Just a pleasant fruit flavor with the right amount of carbonation and alcoholic kick.

Intensely fruit with the exotic blend of kiwi, strawberry and lemon, Decadent steps off of their milkshake stage and tries their hand at smoothies instead. Build upon a loosely interpreted Gose-styled ale, their fruit beer is simply a machine at work.

With that, the Fruit Machine hits a trifecta with those tropical, berry and citrusy tones striking the senses with a tart and candied scent. As its aroma pulls from a dense pale mauve body and rolls off of a frothy eggshell froth, the nose is stricken by an undercurrent of cider, wine, cream and cereal. Similarly to taste, a cereal sweetened maltiness hosts early impressions of shortbread, vanilla and cream candy.

Juicy sweet and jam packed with jelly-like fruitiness, the middle palate shifts toward the fruitiness of both the base beer and the actual additions. The combination of kiwi, lemon and strawberry leans tropical with bold suggestions of passionfruit, papaya and pineapple emerge. Red berries add a depth of succulence and robust taste while the citrus is racy, zesty and bright. While hints of gooseberry, crabapple and rosé wine decorate the late palate, its acidity is bright, briny and breaming.

Relying on the sourness to balance the fruit, cereal and creamy flavors and feels, Decadent Ale's Fruit Machine is low in bitterness and strays from the earthen brininess of classic Gose in favor for a fruit-forward, juicy and smoothie-like sour ale that's refreshing, appetizing and downright delicious.

Cool, some new Decadent stuff popping up in... NH of all places. I find that odd considering I've always been able to get their stuff in Massachusetts, but it seems like they're brewing at Twelve Percent in CT now instead of Dorchester Brewing in Boston, so I guess that makes a bit more sense. This is a bigger "gose-style ale" with kiwi, strawberry, and lemon. Yay, juice.

The pour is pretty much opaque/unfiltered strawberry-lemonade. A pallid pinkish hue (salmon is a good name for the color, let's go with that) that initially forms a slight head which immediately fizzles to nothing in true kettle sour fashion. A slight hint of lacing that looks a lot like the fruit pulp left over after you sip a smoothie... it's a pure solid glass of juice. Nothing more, nothing less.

The nose is exactly as expected, but there's some creaminess that seems like lactose or vanilla, even though neither is mentioned on the label. Strong strawberry, ripe honeydew melon, and notes of mango and papaya along with a hint of the kiwi. Kinda musky and artificial in a sense, but I don't think anything here is unnatural. On the contrary, it might just be really, really specific about what it's going for, and the achievement of that goal feels weird to me. Just a thought.

Definitely feels like something is thickening up the body here, as it's way less spritzy than it ought to be considering it's a 6% fruited gose. I think I would prefer it to be a little lighter bodied and a bit more lithe in profile, but the flavors are good. strawberry/banana/kiwi with some solid tropical elements. Very juicy, slightly tart, and drinkable despite my misgivings with the feel. Not much in the way of malt presence, but perhaps some slight breadiness if I really look for it. This feels kind of one-note, though, honestly, and that's my issue with a great many fruited kettle sour beers these days. I drink it and I'm like "okay, you did it... congrats?" and don't ever really want one again. Most of these feel like novelty beers, and I guess Decadent's always been that way so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

16oz can. Poured out a slightly cloudy, golden orange color with a small, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left minimal lacing. It smelled of tart lemon, sweet kiwi and banana aromas. Sour lemon bite with a nice kiwi and strawberry punch. Mild caramel flavors.