Sampled: July 15, 2010
Us Flatlanders tend to think of bears as carnivores and fixate on images of grizzlies plucking salmon from roaring streams. but they forage for berries, and this fine ale from Idaho Springs, Colo. reminds us of their nature as omnivores - not that you would jump to that conclusion upon encountering one in the woods.
By layering raspberries and blueberries on top of a pale ale, Tommyknocker has crafted a wonderful summer brew with enough fruit tastes to refresh but preserves a balance so they do not overwhelm the palette with tartness. Having brewed a blueberry bitter before, I now beer can easily absorb those flavors, so the brewery wisely erred on the side of caution. The fruitiness collides with a little bit of malt here and there, but honestly, this ale seeks to quench thirst. It does so splendidly, with the mix of berries appropriately giving it the flavor of loganberry (blackberry and raspberry hybrid). The label claims natural fruit juices, and I can only hope the brewers actual topped their fermenters with fruit because the beer is better off.
This is one of the more adventurous summer seasons tasted in recent memory. Low in alcohol and utterly quenching, it should be trumpeted for achieving everything a fruit-infused beer should. At just 4.7 percent ABV, it's got less alcohol than most mainstream American brews, and exponentially more flavor. Find a six-pack or two before Tundrabeary goes into hibernation for another season. Summer weather doesn't last as long at high altitudes.
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