Weird Beer Thursday - Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Why it's weird:
Obviously, it's made with blueberries (from Maine!).
What's up with this beer:
I kept seeing this at my local beer store last year, but at that time I was not into fruit beers at all, and I thought for sure that I would not like it. Now, my tastes have changed and I have enjoyed many "fruit beers" recently. That Chicago Tribune article about fruit beers must have really piqued my interest. I previously reviewed a Mbege-style ale which is brewed with bananas, and recently at The Hopleaf I had the interesting Surly Two, which is made with lots of cranberries (those BA reviews are accurate), which could easily be featured as a "weird beer" but I didn't get a photo. By the way, I can't wait to try more beers from the excellent Surly Brewery, but right now they are mostly only available in Minnesota.
I still do not like really fruit beers, like the ones that overly tart or are more wine-like than beer-like. So, once I realized that this Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale is more like an actual ale instead of a really fruity beer, I was confident to buy it and try it. Plus, I very much like blueberries. Turns out, I really liked Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale. It had subtle aromas of blueberries and also a subtle taste of fruit/blueberries, so it is not really fruity at all. Mostly, it was just an overall well-balanced amber ale that was enjoyable to drink. It is pretty much like drinking blueberry muffins, which I think is awesome. The six-pack that I purchased did not last long at all. My girlfriend also tried a bottle and also thought it was good. At one particular tasting time, I was still up at the early morning hours enjoying some of this blueberry ale, but then I got hungry. I found some blueberry waffles in my freezer (frozen from Trader Joes, which aren't all that "blueberry-y" either), so I toasted those up and ate 'em with the beer - it was a delicious (and might I say perfect) combination!
I have heard of a few other "blueberry beers" that exist out there, but I can see Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale probably being the best. They even state on the label that it is "America's Original Blueberry Ale". Although, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale is not on the level of excellent, it is solidly good and I very much recommend it. And obviously, you will like it if you like blueberries and amber ales, both of which I happen to very much like.
Details: (from the brewery)
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
The Atlantic Brewing Company
Bar Harbor, Maine, United States
A light fruit ale, made with Maine wild blueberries. As opposed to many of the sweeter fruit beers on the market, our addition of fresh Maine wild blueberries in this light ale yields a subtle blueberry aroma, without the sweet aftertaste.
A mixture of the following Mutton malts, pale, crystal, and Munich, are combined with wheat to give this ale its lighter body, and we only use minimal amounts of Target and Willamette hops.
ABV 5.2%
My Rating:
The glass is half full.
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I cannot get into any beer with fruit in it. Not my favorite trend.
really though, this beer isn't really fruity at all. very very subtle blueberry.
That might be enough to get me to try it, maybe it will be a nice introduction to that type of beer. Thanks.
I've not liked the few fruity beers that I've tasted in the past, but you've convinced me to try this one. Hopefully, I can find it out here in the suburban sticks at Binny's.
P.S. I really like this new blog site, but need to catch up in reading the postings.
I agree with Peaches - it's great to have a site with good beer recommendations. I haven't liked fruit beers in the past, but you've convinced me to try this one. Hopefully I can find it out here in the suburban sticks. I still have to catch up with your earlier postings.
P.S. Weren't you in Bar Harbor with Grandma and Granddaddy years ago? Too bad we can't send Granddaddy some Blueberry Ale.
Thanks Mom! I found a lot to write about during this first month. Probably won't be as prolific from now on, but still have lots of beer-related stuff that I could write about. Seems to be popular, easy, and fun theme for a blog! Oh yeah, I think you're right - I have been at/near Bar Harbor, Maine. I remember being at Acadia National Park which is there.
The Binny's out by you should have most beers that I write about. Since I also buy from Binny's and know they have great selection. Only a few beers that I write about may only be available in smaller specialty stores in the city. I usually like to write and recommend beers that hopefully should be available for others, so they can try them too. Look forward to a post that I will write focusing more on the Chicago suburbs.
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