Melbourn Brothers Apricot

Brewed by Melbourn Brothers (Samuel Smith)
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Stamford, England

Bottle. Golden clear with a medium creamy short lasting head. Sweet aroma of dried abricots. Flavour is very sweet and fresh, heavy on abricots, medium citrus. Light fresh sour finish. Tasty English lambiek.

I expected a much higher rating for this beer, but I guess I should have considering wide bias against anything sweet. I didn’t realize the alcohol was quite this low, but I didn’t pick up on it so that makes sense. The comparison to Lindeman’s is obvious, and this is very similar. Sweet apricot. Only a hint of lambic weirdness, but this is an excellent dessert beer.

Bottle. Poured light, cloudy orange. Nice Foamy 1-inch thick white head. Nice lacing left on the glass. Aroma of apricot. Flavor was was the same...all apricot, some malt. Carbonation was good. Medium mouthfeel. Very sugary, didn’t feel like I was drinking beer. Best chilled, not to good warm.

Bottle. Nice obvious apricot aroma. Minimal head but bit of foam clings til the end. Light orangish gold in color. Sweet on the tongue! Sugary sweet mouthfeel gives way to malty aftertaste after swallow. This has got to be as close as you can get a beer to resemble champagne - and not bad champagne either. Zingy carbonation. Very fresh palate. Enjoyable as it is, although I barely consider it beer. Easily my favorite lambic and that’s saying a lot considering lambics are near the bottom of my preference list, just above those heinous I.P.A.’s.

Bouteille de 355 ml achetée chez Sylvester’s Market (Montgomery, VT). Arôme: Odeur d’apricot sûrette et d’agrume. Apparence: La couleur est blonde orangée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’apricot sûrette et de pomme fruitée. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement minérale. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Présence d’apricot en arrière goût. (Rating #812)

355ml brown bottle, Poured bright golden, sizable lasting white head, light lacing left on the glass. Aroma is tart, slightly sour with perfumy apricot fruit. Flavour is musty, grapey, finishes with some acidy fruit. Fairly effervescent. Sticker on bottle states abv is 4%

OK, I know there are a lot of people who would be willing to shout me down about my view of theis beer - I think it’s one of the world’s greats. I would won’t bore you with my take on the abundant complex flavours. I ’m a bar-owner and craft-beer evangelist of many years standing and this beer is my secret weapon. When faced with a customer with arms folded who declares "I don’t like beer" I bring out the Melbourn Apricot. The transformation is incredible - instantly people re-consider their entrenched beer-sceptic view. Beer sellers - put this weapon in your arsenal.

Pours tawny w/ a shallow spritzy froth w/ some spattering. Aromas of sour, aged apricot and citrus. Medium nectar w/ ample residual effers. This is a sweet and sour brew w/ flavors of malted apricot, aged citrus, cedar, and a dash of sodium. Add some clove spice even. Ever walk into a cigar humidor ? Thats how this tastes but w/ a sour sweetness. The finish is long and sour w/ slight bittering. Overall: I’d rather be in the humidor.