Valley Brew Apricot Ale

Tap at Valley. Quite nice and refreshing - outdoes Pyramid’s Apricot Hef especially on fresh taste (well, that’s not fair of me, is it?). Rather clear fruit favor, but not quite juice-caliber. One note except for light flour taste. Highly drinkable, IMO.

4oz. sample at the brewpub. I’ve had a lot of beers like this. Apricot seems to be the go to flavor for fruit beers around here. Aroma is strong and unmistakably apricot with the flavor of apricot and butter popcorn. The 4oz. I had was OK, but any more would have been hard to take because of the powerful artificial flavors.

Draught at the brewpub. Opaque yellow with a small head. Creamy apricot lotion aroma. Light malt flavors, low bitterness, healthy apricot and pretty dry overall. Light bodied. Not much going on besides the apricot lotion impression.

On tap at the brewpub. A slightly darker gold color. Aroma of apricots, and something akin to urinals. Flavor of apricot, somewhat artificial, wheat and bread.

Draft at the brewpub. Yellow pour, somewhat clear. Aroma is lots of apricot. Flavor is the same, perfume sweetness and some more apricots.

(10/29/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in Stockton. Hazy orange color. Aroma of fresh apricots. Sweetish flavor with apricots and some sugar. Light-bodied. Smells good but that’s it.

Draft @ Valley Brew. Pours a bright yellow color; white head with fine-bubbled lacing. Syrupy apricot, butterscotch, and sticky sweetness in the aroma; not good. Medium mouthfeel: light carbonation and flabby presence; like a mouthful of apricot syrup; overripe, sweet, and not much else, aside from the butterscotch. Can’t say that I enjoyed this. Lengthy finish of sticky-sweet apricots and sugary fruit syrup.

Golden orange, simple, apricot, bready, malty, wheat, slight citrus, dry finish.