Sweetwater Blue

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Atlanta, Georgia USA

12-ounce bottle. Pours very translucent gold, headless (long drive to Seattle for this beer, maybe?). Laceless. Strong blueberry note on the nose--not much worth talking about anything but the blueberry there. Most of the other flavors are in support of the blueberry; there’s some earthy hay and a bit of an herbal hop note, but they’re really there to give body to the berry sweetness. Very refreshing, and probably a very good bbq beer. I’ll probably never reach for a fruit beer on the shelf, but being handed one of these is a nice change of pace now and then.

Unsual blueberry aroma and flavor, smelled more like blueberries than tasted like them. A light bodied, dry, fizzy beer. A beer I would find interesting if someone homebrewed a batch, I can’t imagine this beer being a retail boom. I have 5 more of them as I drink them I may re-rate if my thoughts change on it.

Bottle. A great fruit beer. The blueberry comes through very well in both the taste and the smell. Very fresh, very drinkable.

I’ve always enjoyed a well done fruit beer, and I love blueberry ale. Sweetwater Blue is a crisp, refreshing, tasty blueberry ale, with lots of good blueberry character in both aroma and flavor. I found this beer to be very enjoyable, though it was just a touch too sweet in blueberry flavor, and could have had a little bigger malt backbone. Sweetwater Blue pours to a beautiful, bright, very pale golden color with a bright white head that fades, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose is very fragrant with the aromas of sweet blueberry jam, and a slight back drop of pale malt aroma. The palate is thin and somewhat watery on the tongue, with some crisp malt flavor, and sweet/sour blueberry flavors. Sweetwater Blue finishes with more blueberry flavors up front, then ends with a slightly sour and a touch cloying blueberry finish. This is a nice, refreshing blueberry ale, with lots of blueberry aromas and flavors. It tastes more like a blueberry soda than a beer in my opinion. That is ok for me, as I love blueberries, but for some, the sweet blueberry character could be a bit too much.

Whether mowing the lawn or sitting on the deck of your local pizza joint this beer is very refreshing on a hot summer day.

If I wanted to drink Budweiser I’d pay Budweiser prices for it. What else can you say, it’s just a beer. Nothing too special besides the price tag.

Sparkling gold, thin white fizzy head. Nose held notes of warm blueberry bread, lemon zest, and wheat. Flavor was similar with low-key tones of blueberry, citrus, and wheat. Light bodied, medium carbonation, dry fruity finish. I say good for quantity drinking on a hot summer day...

(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with goldtwins, thanks Larry!) Two flavors and two flavors only: blueberries and dough. SweetWater should change the name to Blueberry Muffin because this beer’s resemblance to the muffins I buy at Costco is uncanny. Lightly sweet with no tartness, and there is no bitterness or even a hint of hops. I appreciate that the blueberry flavor seems real rather than artificial, so that’s a nice plus. Perhaps a little tartness would make this more enjoyable, but as it is, this beer is more a novelty than a tasty brew. The beer smells pretty similar as well, with the blueberry aroma being a bit lighter overall. Light-medium in body with a nicely carbonated mouthfeel. Pale golden color and fairly clear in appearance, but the small whitish head disappears quickly, so this beer isn’t very attractive. It’s a decent fruit beer, but without any tartness, it’s not something I’d actively seek out.