Concord Grape Ale

Formerly brewed at Concord Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Lowell, Massachusetts USA

Reviewing from memory - had this a couple years ago in Boston. Pours medium amber with a small white head. Aroma is pretty nice, with Concord grapes and a hint of pale/caramel malt. Flavor is pale/caramel malt, grains, and somewhat artificial-tasting grape juice. Bottle is a little thin and watery, especially for a winter seasonal. Falls a little short of expectations overall.

on tap-pours a dissipating off white head and dark amber color. Aroma is wow, lots of purple grapes. Taste is purple grapes, secondary English malt, faint English hops-earthy/flat. OK carbonation.

draft - Smells like grapes, imagine that... it tastes like a weak lager with a lot of grapes added. I certainly wouldn’t call it robust as the commercial description does. I found it thin and watery with too much grape flavor added to the decidedly lacklaster base ale. This rated higher than I expected here. I don’t get the appeal.

On tap at the Connecticut Brew Fest. Amber with a slight white head. Nose is all Nehi grape soda! Good flavor, red grape at first, then a nice malty grainy flavor. Decent bitter finish. Good!

Deep amber ale with a light white head. Aroma of grape kool-aid or pez candy. Fresh malt in mouth with rather artificial raisins. Light and watery. Mondial 2005.

Best before 10/2005 bottle consumed 9/6/2005. Deep orange-copper with a definite currant-colored sheen to it. Moderate sized bubbles rise quite vigorously creating a large, 2-finger beige head with good retention. Moderate lacing as well, despite the fact that the beer seems pretty heavily filtered. Strong grape juice aroma right away, but it dies off somewhat and some crystal-like maltiness are detectable on the tail-end. Grape candy, but not overly sugary. Bit of sweet cream and a dry yeastiness. Flavor is not what I am expecting. Dry, not at all sweet. Grape medicine on the end. I’m definitely getting coffee or compost notes. Lots of vanilla wafers, cookie crumbs and white dough. Low carbonation. Interesting and not overdone. Almost like they made it so dry because everyone it expecting it to be so sweet.

Verre de dégustation (provenant d’un fût) au Vermont Brewers Festival 2005 (Burlington, VT). Arôme: Odeur de gomme aux raisins. Apparence: Couleur ambrée. Moyen col mousseux. Aucune bulle. Fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de Kool-Aid aux raisins très dilué. Palette: Le corps et la texture sont mince. Faible effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût de raisins dilués. (Rating #224)

Amber-orangeish color, thick foamy white head, candyish grape aroma, follows through on a medium-bodied palate, with cool-aid grape flavor, with hint of bitterness, caramel malt in a hop bittering finish.