“Not traditional.”
“Love the minty aftertaste.”
“A little sour.”
“Tastes like Christmas.”
Wait… what was that last one…..?
I gathered my friends at the LowBrewco Taproom on Friday after work to try out the new beer. Though I’m getting ahead of myself, first lets do a formal introduction:
LowBrewco’s newest seasonal beer is called Black Bear Blackberry Mint Krystal Weiss.
Alright, so we gathered after work to have a little nip and try out the newest beer. Before it came out I was expecting a beer that looked like the Boreal Black Forest, or darker. Black as the moonless night. But it’s actually very light and clear. I was going into things kind of blind, but I see now it is a krystal weiss- a filtered hefe weiss. So a crisp, filtered wheat beer. The taste of a filtered wheat beer is pretty mild, so it is a nice canvass to paint on for the brewer. I was really excited to try this because I’m a big blackberry fan. The blackberry does come across, but if it were up to me it would be approximately half blackberry juice. Economical? Nope. Delicious? 100% In any case, it is a nice tawny colour with a good effervescence (that’s a pretentious word for nice and fizzy). The blackberry comes through at first as a tart hit on your tongue, and then the mint comes and washes it all down.
I’ve got to be honest- I wasn’t sure I was going to like the mint. What can I say, I’m not a minty guy. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream? Not for me. Mint toothpaste? I avoid it. Mint Tea? Nah. You get the idea.
You know what? I didn’t mind the mint in the Black Bear. That tart kick and then the mint washing it all down is actually pretty good. It works. Don’t ask me why. It is subtle, and surrounded by that crisp kystal weiss I think it’s a winner.
As for my friend who says it “tastes like Christmas”? I asked for an explanation and she said, “I dunno, it is full and minty and just tastes like Christmas to me.” Well, there you go. Can’t say I agree, but hey, that’s the beauty of beer. It is for everyone, and no one gets to say if you taste is right or wrong.
So whether you think it tastes like Christmas, or whether you just want that tart kick with the smooth finish, I raise my pint to the humble back bear and to LowBrewco’s tasty blackberry mint homage.
– Arnie
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