Strawberry Milkshake
Kindred Spirit Brewing

 

Great surprise - lots of flavor; more like an extreme fruit beer than a heavy cream ale.

 

 

 

 

 

L) Pours a slightly opaque straw-like honey color. Has a nice head, but it does not linger and almost no lacing.

S) The smell is intensely like a strawberry milkshake. Fresh strawberry and sweet cream out the wazoo. If I was blindfolded, I would confidently say I was smelling a straight up strawberry milkshake, it really is impressive.

T) The taste is very similar to the nose, with intense lactose sugary notes with the fresh strawberry juxtaposed by a slight hoppiness providing an ever so slight bitter backbone to this sugar bomb. The taste isn't for everyone, but again, it's impressive how similar to a strawberry milkshake this brew drinks.

F) The brew has a creamy mouthfeel and a medium carbonation. A pleasure to sip.

O) The beer is precisely what it claims to be. Anyone who would be intrigued by a strawberry milk-shake beer could hardly be disappointing. Avoid if you can't handle excessively sweet brews, and it's a must try for those craving something different.

 

From the bottom of the can: "CANNED ON 11/15/17"

Appearance: The body is a light gold color with just a touch of haze. There is a lot of visible carbonation and the head is a short white fizzy cap that doesn't last long in the glass. It leaves a small ring around the edges without lacing.

Aroma: The beer smells just like fresh strawberries which is a notable achievement for a beer given how many people have tried and failed. This beer actually smells like strawberries.

Taste: Up front there is a strawberry flavor that hits the palate in a very pronounced way. It then forms into this sweet cream flavor which makes it taste just like strawberries and cream. Right after this there is a discernible alcohol flavor which lingers to the end. A couple of times there was a touch of biscuit right at the end but for the most part the first three flavors are the most present.

Mouthfeel: It has a light body and just a slightly chalky texture at the end. It is easy to drink and very carbonated.

Overall: It's a very enjoyable beer and I think that anyone who enjoys strawberries would like it. It does have a bit of an odd texture and the alcohol flavor is a bit strong but it's no surprise for a beer that boasts "8% ALC. BY VOL." (from the can). I would recommend it and I would drink it again.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a yellow-amber color and a cloudy consistency. There was a thin, foamy head that lasted a below average amount of time. Not much lacing, though.

S: A big, sweet aroma of strawberries, malt, and a bit of citrus as well.

T: Tasted of a fair shot of sweet malt, light citrus notes (lemon, for the most part), a lot of strawberries (of course), and a tinge of hops (that might just be me). An interesting flavor that seems to get better as it goes along. Lots of strawberries, so it really does live up to its promise. Lively and sweet.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a somewhat slick finish. Light-bodied.

O: This is one of those oddly enjoyable beer. If you like strawberries, give this one a shot.

 

Pours a slightly cloudy gold with red hues, no head at all. Really smells like a strawberry milkshake, with sweet malts in the background. Taste is dominated by ultra sweet strawberries but not artificially so and some malt. Light bodied, thin mouth feel and minimal carbonation.

 

 

 

Kindred Spirit Brewing "Strawberry Milkshake"
$6 / 14 oz goblet on tap @ Tapped Gastropub, Virginia Beach, VA on 19 June 2017

Notes: Listed at 8.0% ABV and 0 IBUs. Hazy deep gold-amber body without any head at all - dirty bar glass? Limited aroma of strawberry and sweetish malt. Flavor is much fuller and authentic, not fake strawberry. Wow! Cereal like malt base. There's no bitterness but it's not sticky, just a touch sweet in the finish. Medium-light in body with a moderate carbonation that lends a gentle caress to the palate. This would make an excellent dessert beer by itself. Overall a bit odd because it's not what you expect of a strong ale, and yet very, very good. Worth trying.

3.75/3.75/4.25/4/4 = 4.03

 

On tap:
Comes to me pretty flat, but with a lightly hazed golden-leaning-copper body.

Nose gives off strawberry atop a very generic pale ale base with a balance on malt and citrus rind/zest.

Taste follows, a clean pale ale that would probably be pretty bland were it not for a slightly sweet strawberry flavor. Very light fizz and a fairly light body for a decent ABV beer.

I think trying to do too much more with the beer side might detract from the fact that it's a fruit beer. No distractions from the featured ingredient - and I'm surprised how it comes out, given strawberry is usually subtle. I can live with it if the additive is a syrup, in this case.