Apple Ale
Blake's Orchard Ales

 

It's very crisp and refreshing. Perfect for Fall! It has a sour apple taste and goes well with pretzels to balance the taste.

YUM!!!!!!!! This is once again something from Blakes that is brewed to production perfection, I would highly advise you try out their other brews. This one has a fruity charm that makes you want the hard cider but the crispness of a well balanced brew.

I didn't like it at first; largely because it is an oddball taste. (I've only had a handful of beers that relied on apples.)
But instead of pouring it down the drain, I did the right thing and put it back in the refrigerator and went for a bike ride.
When I came back thirsty, it was a different beer. Refreshing. Glad I was patient enough to appreciate the effort that went into it.

I like its Looks; darker than most its type who often try to look like sparkling cider. Smells are an interesting contrast between ale and apples; I get fruit, but malt clearly is in there. Tastes are genuine and largely follow these priorities: apple, some citrus, malt and, finally, modest hops so it all hangs together. For a low ABV, Blake's does a nice job of melding the bubbles and fruit... but a bit cloying and off after-taste.

This is my first from Blake's. They haven't made me a believer that apples belong in beer... but they came close. Their website was off-line, but I'm going to presume they are orchard farmers who are looking for another product line. I wish them well.

 

 

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 7/17/2017. Pours slightly hazy medium orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of lightly tart red/green apples, fruit peels, cracker, toasted biscuit, light caramel, pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of apples, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big lightly tart red/green apples, fruit peels, cracker, toasted biscuit, light caramel, pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy/spicy hop bitterness and apple tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart red/green apples, fruit peels, cracker, toasted biscuit, light caramel, pepper, and herbal/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apples, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/tart/bitterness balance. Touch of hop/fruit astringency lingering through the glass, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/acidic balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5%. Overall this is a very nice fruit beer. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apples, bready malt, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink, despite the increasing tart/bitter/drying finish. Very flavorful with great rich malt complexity for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.