Etna Blackberry Blonde

Brewed by Etna Brewing Co.
Style: Fruit Beer
Etna, California USA

This fruit wheat pours a light gold color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is wheat and blackberries, slightly sweet. A light to medium bodied fruit wheat beer. Malts are fruity and sweet, grassy and grainy. The blackberry flavors are prevalent, but not overly sweet. There is a smoky flavor to the aftertaste. Hops are slightly bitter and floral. Its weird to have a fruit beer with a smoky finish. The smokiness in only in the finish. Strange beer, the smokiness sort of removes the light and refreshing aspect to this beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is crisp and dry. Aftertaste is smoky.

22 oz bottle. Cloudy, wtih some carbonation and little head. While labeled a fruit beer, it was more malts and hops. Refreshing, but not remarkable. Decent nose, and easy to drink to the last drop. At the At Hops in Humboldt Micro-Brew Festival had a second chance to evaluate this offering. I kind of enjoyed the nose which was kind of nice. Raising that score a bit, but all else remains the same.

(22 oz bottle: $3.39 at Liquor Barn in Redding, CA) The label states, "This perky little blonde is full of surprises…" I completely agree with this statement, though they don’t mention the thing that I find most surprising. Like the strong smoky finish to this beer. Possibly the only basic American fruit beer I’ve had with smokiness, and it’s not shy either. This beer reminds me of something St. Peters might do. Very odd, completely out of character for this style, but somehow it’s working for me. However, this is supposed to be a fruit beer, and in particular, a blackberry wheat, and the blackberry flavor is very light, with just a hint showing up in the overall flavor. Wheat also seems pretty light, as is the overall sweetness. So beside the strong smoky finish, the strong grassy character is kind of reminded of celery. Yes, that’s right, celery, and it’s pretty apparent from start to finish, which is when the smokiness kicks in, plus a modest spiciness, perhaps pepper, as well as a mild bitterness shows up too. Very strange flavor for what it’s supposed to be: a fruit beer! The nose shows a bit of wheat malt and an obvious grassiness, but only a modest berry aroma, and none of the smoke and no hops. Light bodied, but clean and somewhat crisp on the palate, and the carbonation levels are fine. Medium straw in color and quite cloudy in appearance. The inch-tall creamy head slowly settles to a thin, but not filmy layer, and a fairly dense curtain of lace has stuck to the glass. Well, this is one of the oddest beer experiences I’ve had in a long time, and indeed this perky little blonde has been full of surprises. But I’d rather that perky blonde was a real chick, not this beer. Weird as hell beer, and totally lacking the fruit, it’s like they mislabeled the bottle, or more likely, left out some of the ingredients. But somehow it’s still not that bad.

Hazy pale gold color with thick white head. Grassy, hay like aroma with some subtle berry notes. Light tart berry flavor, light metallic note, some grassy hop bitterness. Not very good.

Pours a darker golden hue with a bit of white head. Aroma is strong with the smell of blackberries. Flavor is a sweet berry filled flavor. Beer left a sour and bitter taste in my mouth.

Bottle pours hazy yellow, mediocre frothy white head, and with little carbonation.   Slight berry aroma, blackberries, boysenberry, and perhaps some raspberry.   Initial taste is of a somewhat unsweetened berry, but it quickly turns to a light sour bitterness.   Slight peppery flavor on the finish.   Mouthfeel was decent but never really got a decent fruity flavor in this one.