Zippy Lemon Ale
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company & Taproom

 

I must admit I didn't know what to expect. I generally don't like Belgian-style fruity ales, never mind one with lemon. It's more sweet than I thought it'd be, and the lemony taste doesn't register until after you swallow. It's 7.2% ABV, so there's a little warmth going down too. Not bad at all, not bad at all.

Almost an adult soda with a beer feel. Smell of a lemon peel. Smooth but not exactly fresh tasting. Taste of some artificial notes in the lemon, maybe I'm wrong. Tastes of a kind of Belgian hefeweizen super blend. Smooth, moderate carbonation with no hops to speak off which i swear were advertised on the label or the stores little gimmick card.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium coppery amber with a half finger white head that dissipated to patches, but left good lacing. Aroma is (drum roll) lemon, noticeable on opening the bottle, with light bready malt. Although the lemon smell is not that intense, it does seem to mask any other aromas. Flavor is concentrated lemon with a quite nice bready, caramel malt and Belgian yeast, mild buttery flavor and light hops in the finish. Excellent creamy body with peppery carbonation that worked well with the lemon sharpness. I was facing this one with trepidation; Zippy was a great nostalgic memory for me, but not as a recommendation for craft beer. The lemon beer epithet also left me remembering horrible citrus "beerish beverages" I've been offered in the past. I have to admit that mid taste, my exact reaction was the one from Zippy on the label (quoted in a previous review) "YOW!". This is really, really lemon forward, close to lemonade, but the malt body is excellent and supports the strong flavors amazingly well. I kept tasting it to see how this was possible. It works. I really like this. The base seems to be an unspiced Belgian tripel, but once again the lemon makes analysis difficult. Not for the lemon averse, but for anyone wanting to try a unique and tasty lemon Belgian ale, this sets the bar. Well done, Snoqualmie.

YOW!!! As a long time Zippy the Pinhead enthusiast, I was blown away when I saw this brew on a random stop-in at the Snoqualmie brewery. Zippy's subversive, "gritty" underground rendering on the label & tap handle made it a must-try, regardless of the genre. Ordered a pint, post-haste.

This beer hit it right on multiple fronts. One easy sell was that it was a hot, late summer day. A lemon-flavored carbonated cool drink was perfect right then. Add brewing in a Belgian style, semi-high alcohol content and Saaz hops (my favorite in warm weather months) & I've got a winner on my hands.

Not skilled enough to do the chemical/scientific run-down, as the pros do here. I'll just give it an enthusiastic endorsement of being a fine & unusual beverage worthy of a try. Perfect to wash down a plate of Ding Dongs and taco sauce after a long day of mopping at the laundromat.

Also purchased a 22 oz. bottle to take home for a mere $4.99. Claude Funston would approve.