Great Dane Brides Cherry Ale

Brewed by Great Dane Pub & Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Madison, Wisconsin USA

Name: Cherry Ale
Date: 08/08/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

Appearance: hazy amber, wispy off white head,
Aroma: light caramel malt aroma,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, nice cherry character, cherry tartness provides a good contrast to the sweetness, good blend of the sweet and tart cherry,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Clear red with medium pink head. Sweet cherry aroma. Taste is mildly sweet, cherry but also decent tartness. Body is somewhat syrupy.

(Draught) Pours a clear amber body with a small off-white (somewhat pinkish) head. Aroma of canned cherries, candish sugar, and almonds. Flavor of metallic and cherries with a watery mouthfeel.

On tap at the downtown brewpub 8/8/08: Pours a transparent deep copper with a touch of ruby hues and a thin-lacing white head. Aroma of lightly sweet toasty pale malt and fruity cherries. Starts with a mild slightly grainy sweetness and decent semi-tart cherry balance. Pretty drinkable, but not that exceptional.

Ruby amber color. An ecru head with a tinge of pink. Sweet cheery aroma with only a hint of malt. Black cherry "Koolaid" flavor with a mild linger of pale malt. Too cooler like for me.

On tap at Great Dane - Downtown. Poured medium amber with a short cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up sweet dusty cherry skins over a paler malt base.. warmth brought out some cherry skin tartness.. OK. The flavor showcased pale malts and tart cherries with some sweetness as well from cherry meat.. light grassy bitterness surrounded and paired well with the cherry skins.. grainy finish. Drier on the palate and light-bodied.. some interesting elements, but it really fell off on the finish.. just OK.

Tasted on tap at the downtown Madison location. This fruit beer pours a deep reddish color. Small sized pinkish foamy head. Aroma is cherry and tart, some malts. A medium bodied fruit beer. The malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are floral and earthy. There is a lot of both sweet, tart and sour cheery flavor in this beer. The fruit flavors are more tart and sour than sweet, yet they balance out just a bit to the sour side. There is also a nice malt backbone behind the fruit. Lively carbonated. This version of this beer is very good. An excellent example of just what a fruit beer could be. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly tart.

Draft at the brewpub (downtown location). Poured a clear amber color with an off white head. The aroma was of subdued cherry and light toffee. Light body. Tasted of tart flesh fruit with a hint of malty toffee. So so.