Pear and Bergamot
Deschutes Brewery

1L howler from Sherbrooke Liquor store (@4.7% ABV) - how do they decide to mix these exact two ingredients together? I guess I'll never be a craft brewer, eh?

This beer pours a hazy, pale golden yellow colour, with three fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and mildly creamy off-white head, which leaves some low-lying headland profile lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of fresh-cut, ripe Bartlett pears (I know, I had some a few hours ago), some muddled earthy floral character, grainy and crackery cereal malt, candy sugar, a hint of generic yeastiness, and some tame leafy, herbal, and musty hop bitters. The taste is slightly tart pome fruit (so, some underripe apple tossed into the fray, yeah?), gritty and crackery pale malt, a further subtle citrus rind thing, plain estery yeast, some red floral essences, and more well understated earthy, musty, and leafy hoppiness.

The carbonation is average in its palate-placating frothiness, the body a so-so medium weight, and generally smooth, as the fruitiness goes the long mile in helping out here. It finishes off-dry, the wan malt and floral pear fruitiness still workin' it like they stole it.

Overall - yes, this comes across as much more of a fruity and floral ale, than anything particularly sour, as the titular ingredients put the smack down on any 'wild' yeast influence, as such. Pretty full of flavour, and a pleasant substitute for dessert on this fine evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

an interesting new one from deschutes, who i havent heard much from lately. this is a neat beer, fragrant green pear and delicate bergamot citrus, a cool fruit combination in a gently tart and super drinkable beer. its pale frosted white yellow, really pale in color and almost a little green looking its so light, fizzy head rising up from the tap. aroma is floral and springly, orange blossom and elderflower and the distinct skin of the pear, appetizing and mild, unique, and not all that sour. the flavor is really good, but its almost like there isnt enough of it. they got the fruit aspect right on in terms of forwardness in the mix and balance between the two, but the whole thing seems underdone or diluted or something, like it needs more flavor, despite whats here being great. thats true of the acidity too, its highlighting the fruit really well but it stops short of where i think it should go, kind of a weird trajectory then, but i still find myself enjoying the beer, the subtle ripeness and floral aspects of the fruit are great, the citrus kicks in a little bitterness and the pear some sweet, its great back and forth in a beer thats more saison-esque than sour to me, just tart is all, and very clean. good carbonation makes this feel even more like warm weather coming, and overall its a tasty brew, different but almost overly mild...