Name: Rockets Red Glare
Brewers: WeldWerks Brewing, Southern Grist Brewing Co. (USA)
Style: Specialty Fruit Beer (Base Style: Berliner Weisse)
ABV: 4.1%
Review Year: 2019
WeldWerks (Colorado) teams up with Southern Grist (Nashville) to create this interesting Berliner Weisse-style ale brewed with Rocket Pops, blue raspberry, lemon, and milk sugar/lactose.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty Fruit Beer (29C) with the Berliner Weisse (23A) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Rockets Red Glare deviates from the norm with its unusual green color due to the Rocket Pops and lemon used in making this beer. Some degree of haziness is also noted. We noted aromas of lactose, freshly cut grass, and raspberry from this beer. Interestingly, this beer did not have the traditional notes of sourdough bread and funky Brettanomyces on the nose.
The Rockets Red Glare gave us an impression of a light-bodied beer with notes of sour gummy candies, lemon citrus, electrolyte sports beverage, and brine. Conforming to the style guidelines, no hop presence was noted in this beer. The finish after a sip recalled a dry, brine-like, and citrus profile.
THE VERDICT
Overall, this collaboration beer by WeldWerks and Southern Grist is an interesting take on the traditional Berliner Weisse. Despite its deviations from the classic style, it still embodies the essence of the German beer style with its refreshing and drinkable characteristics. After considering everything else, the green color is just a bonus.
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